


The Untouchable Stryker

by Ravenhart22



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clexa, F/F, F/M, M/M, MMA, Multi, UFC, bestfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:20:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 75
Words: 196,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29076249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenhart22/pseuds/Ravenhart22
Summary: Lexa has had a very hard life. She doesn't know who her parents are or where she is really from. All she knows is she is different and wants to get out of Afghanistan. She is forced to fight for Ahmed's group when her school was bombed. That's where she met Ash, the person she thought was the love of her life. Unfortunately, things happen but at least she makes it to America, where she can hopefully start over. When she meets Clarke Griffin she know that she is in trouble but Clarke is dating Finn.
Relationships: Clexa - Relationship
Comments: 62
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

I hope you enjoy my story based on the characters of The 100. Apparently some people are pretty impatient when it comes to getting to the Clexa part of the story so if you are looking for Clexa from the start you may want to skip my story because it is about more than just their relationship. Sorry but I guess this is a slow burn for Clexa.


	2. Lexa

My name is Alexandria Sahar Trikru, but I go by Lexa and sometimes Zander but that is another story. It has been a long hard road for me to get to where I am right now. Today is the first day of my new life here in America, specifically San Francisco, California. I have been fighting my entire life for the chance to be here. I knew from an incredibly young age that I was different from everyone around me. I don’t just mean the color of my skin or sexual orientation either. I mean everything about me. I can run faster, jump higher, hear, and see better than anyone I have ever met, and I have never been sick, not even a cold. I can speak Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Urdu, Kurdish, Turkish, Hebrew, Hindi, English, and Spanish. Long story short, I’m here because I met an amazing woman, Commander Ashley ‘Ash’ Fletcher and helped her and the US Navy bring down an entire cell of terrorists in Afghanistan.  
Now here I am standing in a huge house belonging to Ash’s mom Amelia in San Francisco California. Although the road to get her was rocky, I feel confident that everything that has happened has led me here and this is where I am meant to be. When we pull in the driveway at Amelia’s house, I see that the outside of the house is bigger than any I have ever seen. The normal house in the desert consists of about four rooms total and are only one story. This one looks to be two or three stories from what I can see pulling into the garage. We grab our luggage and head into the house. The first room we walk into is some sort of game room. There is a pool table, foosball table and a couple of arcade games.  
Ash says, “Lexa if you want your own space you are welcome to have this floor to yourself. Let me show you around.” She shows me the bedroom and private bath and then a living room area out past the game room and then an awesome patio area with an amazing view. There is also a laundry room and wine cellar on this level.  
I look around and say, “You are kidding right?”  
Amelia says, “No you are welcome to stay as long as you want. You can have this entire space to yourself or if you want you can stay upstairs in one of the guest rooms up there. Whatever you feel more comfortable with.”  
Ash looks at me and says, “See I told you we have plenty of room. There is no need to be in such a hurry to get your own place, you have everything you need right here. You even have your own entrance, so it is like having your own place. You can even use the catering kitchen and never have to come upstairs, or we can put in a kitchen down here.”  
“Whoa, Ash, slow down. This is great and I will give it a few weeks before making any decisions.”  
She smiles and says, “Great, drop your things in the bedroom and let me show you the rest of the house.”  
I do as I’m told, and she takes me down a set of stairs off the game room that leads to a hallway with a walk-in closet she said is mine to use. There is also what she calls a media room, but I call a movie theater. We go down another flight of stairs and there is the kitchen she was telling me about and a huge bathroom with something she calls a sauna. I have no idea what that is but then we continue down the hallway and it opens up into a half-court basketball court.  
I look at her and say, “Damn Ash you didn’t tell me your family was loaded. I do have a couple of questions though, what is a sauna, and will you teach me to play basketball?”  
She laughs and replies, “The money comes from my great grandfather. A sauna is a steam room. It is meant to make you sweat and release all the toxins in your body and it is quite relaxing. As far as basketball, I will try to teach you if you want. Now let me show you the pool and the view from the balcony down to our private beach. Then I will show you upstairs, which is really the main part of the house.”  
We walk through the basketball court out onto a patio that surrounds an infinity pool that reminds me of the one in our suite in Dubai. The view from here is amazing and I can see a walkway down to a gazebo area and then on down to a beach. I can’t believe she never told me about any of this. I follow her up three flights of stairs and into the main living area. This house is crazy. There is a breakfast room that leads into the kitchen which goes into the dining room with a library next to it. Then there is a living room that opens out onto a huge patio overlooking the pool. I follow her up another flight of stairs to where the bedrooms are located. There are four of them, the master, two guest rooms and then Ash’s room. We go into her room to drop off her luggage and then she shows me a room that is attached to hers, she has it full of weapons. I just laugh and shake my head.  
She says, “I thought you might like this room. Now if you don’t want to stay downstairs right away or ever there is a spare room right through the bathroom you can stay in right next door to me.”  
“Ash, we’ve talked about this. I think we both need some space so I will stay downstairs for the time being and see how that works out. Then we can go from there, okay?”  
“Fine, but I don’t know if I will be able to sleep without you. I mean we have shared the same bed for over six months now.”  
“I know, it is going to take some time to get used to, but I really think it is for the best.”  
After she finishes showing me the workout room, we head back downstairs to the kitchen. Amelia has the table set and pizzas in the middle, so we sit down and eat. After dinner I say goodnight and head down to my room to unpack somethings before taking a shower. Once I’m finished with my shower, I try to lay down, but I can’t sleep. The bed is too empty. Ash is right, I can’t remember the last time I slept alone other than when she was in the coma and then I was right next to her even then. I toss and turn for about an hour before I decide to get up and watch television. I’m not sure how long I’m asleep on the couch before I feel someone picking me up. When I open my eyes, I see Ash. She smiles down at me and carries me to my bed and then crawls in behind me.  
I say, “Um…Ash, what are you doing?”  
“Well…Um…I couldn’t sleep so I came down to see how you were doing and found you on the couch so I thought I would put you in bed. I figured since you were asleep on the couch with the TV on that you couldn’t sleep either so…here we are.”  
“Fine, but we can’t make a habit out of this.”  



	3. Ash

I was extremely glad to be home. I hadn’t realized how much I have missed being here until we pulled into the driveway. Lexa was blown away at the size of the house from the outside, I couldn’t wait to show her around the inside. I first showed her to her room and told her she could have the entire floor to herself. She was amazed and a little upset that I hadn’t told her about this place.  
I guess I never think about it too much but out of all the places we have lived this is definitely my favorite and I’m glad mom decided to stay here. It was fun showing Lexa around and I can’t wait to take a swim in the pool and walk on the beach. After dinner, Lexa said goodnight and went downstairs.  
I decided to use my mom’s sauna and try to relax so that maybe I would be able to sleep by myself. It didn’t work and before long I found myself wondering downstairs to see if Lexa was still up. When I got down there, I found her asleep on the couch in front of the television. I guess she couldn’t sleep either. I stood there for a few minutes just watching her sleep. I can’t believe how much things have changed in the course of a week. I thought when we got here, we would be able to start our life together not be torn apart.  
I decide that I should put Lexa in bed, so I move to the couch and pick her up. She opens her eyes and smiles at me as I carry her to the bed. I gently lay her in the bed and then crawl in with her. She asks me what I am doing, and I shrug my shoulders and tell her that I can’t sleep without her and she agrees to let me stay here for the night. It isn’t long before she is back asleep but for some reason I still can’t sleep. I just keep trying to figure out how I’m going to fix this mess, but I can’t for the life of me come up with a quick solution. I finally realize that it is just going to take some time to work out the mess that I call my life.  
I wake up the next morning to a pair of beautiful steel blue eyes. I smile and say, “Good morning sunshine!”  
Lexa replies, “Good morning beautiful. Not that I ever mind waking up next to you but what exactly are you doing in my bed?”  
“Well, I couldn’t sleep so I came to talk to you and found you sleeping on the couch, so I brought you to bed.”  
“That doesn’t really explain why you are in my bed, Ash.”  
“I couldn’t help myself. You were so cute, and I just had to be close to you in order to sleep. You told me it was okay last night as long as I don’t make a habit out of it. Don’t you remember?”  
“Obviously not. Whatever, what is the plan for today? I need to text Octavia and let her know when we can get together.”  
“I figured we should go ahead and go pick up the jeep and dirt bikes today, that way you have transportation. After that I thought I could maybe show you around a bit. If that’s okay with you. If you would rather meet up with Octavia though, I understand.”  
“No, it’s fine. I will text her and let her know that we have errands to run today and I will meet up with her either tonight or tomorrow.”  
“Great, let’s go upstairs and get some breakfast and then head out.”  
When we get upstairs, mom has the table set for us with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Mom asks what we have planned for today and I tell her we are going to pick up the jeep from the base and bring it back here before going to show Lexa around. She volunteers to ride with us and bring back the jeep and trailer so that I can have more time to show Lexa around.  
It’s around nine when we head out the door when my phone buzzes. It is a text from Callie, ‘Hey can I bring Asher by your house today to meet you?’  
Me: ‘No, I don’t think that is a good idea. Lexa and I are on the way to pick up the jeep and then I am going to show her around.’  
Callie: ‘Ashley, you promised to meet him as long as I talked to him about our relationship and I did. I think he understands but he is dying to meet you.’  
Me: ‘Fine, I will come to your house tonight around eight.’  
Mom looks at me and asks why I am making that face. I don’t know what she is talking about, but I tell her about the texts. I look at Lexa and she just looks away. I don’t know what to say so I just get into the truck so we can get going. It only takes about an hour to get to the base. When we do, mom gets in the jeep and heads back to the house and we head into town.  
We spent the day sightseeing before grabbing a quick dinner and heading back to the house. We got home around seven giving me an hour to prepare myself for meeting Asher and spending a few hours alone with him and Callie. Lexa says she was going to call Octavia and go hang out with her for a while.


	4. Lexa

It didn’t take that long to get to the base and pick up the jeep. Afterwards Ash showed me around the city, but I couldn’t really enjoy it because I knew she was going to spend time with Callie tonight. On the ride up to the base, I text Octavia and made plans to meet up this evening. We made it back to the house around seven, I grabbed a quick shower and put on a pair of black jeans with a white V-neck t-shirt and my leather jacket. I grabbed my backpack and put an extra pair of clothes in it just in case.  
I went upstairs to get the keys to the jeep and say bye to Ash and Amelia then I headed out. Octavia had text me her address earlier, so it wasn’t hard to find with the help of Google maps on my phone. Octavia was Bellamy Blake’s sister. I met Bellamy or as I call him Blake when I was just a kid at the orphanage near the army base where he was stationed, and he became like a big brother to me. I pull up in front of Blake’s house about twenty minutes later. Traffic around here is crazy compared to the desert. I guess because everyone has cars over here and there are so many people. Anyway, when I get there Octavia greets me at the door with a bear hug.  
When she finally let’s go, I get a good look at her. She is my age and almost as tall as I am, which is about 5’8”. She an athletic build and long brown hair with beautiful hazel eyes. I say, “It is good to finally meet you. Don’t take this the wrong way but you don’t look anything like Blake.”  
She laughs, “I would hope not. Bellamy is nothing like me. I have to admit though you look amazing. Come in and let me show you around and then we can decide what we want to do tonight.”  
Octavia shows me around her house and introduces me to her mother Isabel. Her house has three stories and is large but not as large as Ash’s. It is nice and has a huge deck which is where we end up sitting and talking. She is easy to talk to and I feel like I have known her forever. We talk about everything thing, what we like to do, what types of food we like, anything and everything. Before I realize it, it’s almost eleven and I start to yawn.  
Octavia looks at her watch and says, “Wow, it is already late. Do you want to just stay here tonight? We can watch a movie or something.”  
I reply, “Yeah, I think that would be cool. If it’s okay with your mom. I just have to text Ash and let her know. I’m sure she won’t care, after all she is with Callie tonight.”  
Octavia shakes her head, “Mom won’t care but what is it with those two. I thought they were finished after the whole Robby thing?”  
“Yeah, I don’t really know. When Ash and I first met, she put me through hell before she would trust me because of what Callie did to her and just when I thought we were done dealing with Callie she shows up with some sob story. Now Ash feels bad and says she needs time to figure things out.”  
“Wow, Lexa that sucks. So, what does that mean for the two of you?”  
“I don’t really know. We have had a few conversations about it, but I’m still confused. I am new to all of this stuff. All I know for sure is that I like being with Ash, so I guess I just have to wait and see what happens. Although she did tell me that I should explore other relationships if they become available, whatever that means.”  
Octavia says, “That isn’t really fair to you. Well, that’s something at least. I mean you are young and let’s face it you are hot. You should be out having the time of your life now that you are free from that horrid place, not waiting around for Ash to decide who she wants to be with. Matter of fact, you said you like to dance right? So, let’s go dancing, I know the perfect place. What do you say?”  
“Now? What the hell, sure let’s go. You are right and Ash said the something similar, I just don’t know if I’m ready to give up on her just yet but that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun in the meantime.”  
I send Ash a text, Me: ‘Hey, just wanted to let you know that I am going to stay over tonight.’  
Ash: ‘Really? How am I supposed to sleep?’  
What the hell? She is killing me with this, ‘Idk we have talked about this. Besides, I thought you would still be with Callie. I will see you sometime tomorrow.’  
Ash: ‘Fine, have fun and be careful.’  
Me: ‘Yes, mom. LOL’  
I must have been making a face because Octavia asks, “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing really. Ash is just having a hard time sleeping without me apparently. She came downstairs last night and got in bed with me. If I’m being honest, I couldn’t sleep either at first but eventually fell asleep on the couch. I mean we really haven’t slept apart since we met.”  
“Well, I think she should just get used to it if she doesn’t want to commit to you. Come on let’s go dancing.”


	5. Ash

Once Lexa leaves, I head over to Callie’s. I stop by the store and pick up a toy truck for Asher on the way and a bottle of wine for Callie. I am really nervous about meeting him and being alone with Callie because I don’t know what to expect or what she expects from me. When I pull up in front of the townhouse, the door opens before I can even get out of the truck. In the doorway stands Callie and Asher, I assume since it is a little boy. I get out and grab the gifts, close the door, and turn to walk up the walkway when I feel something slam into my legs. I look down and the boy is hugging my legs looking up at me with the most innocent grey eyes I have ever seen. I look over to Callie and she is smiling.  
I’m not really sure what to do so I bend down to his level and say, “Hello, you must be Asher. My name is…”  
He interrupts me saying, “I know who you are, you my mommy that been away savin people. I been waitin my whole life to meet you.”  
I don’t know what to say or do so I just hand him the truck and look over at Callie hoping she will help me out, but I guess she thinks me being uncomfortable is funny because she is laughing at me. Fine, I will figure it out on my own, then. I look down at Asher and say, “Asher, why don’t you take me inside and show me around?”  
He looks up at me and takes my hand, while saying, “Ok mommy but erraone just calls me Ash. Come on want to show you my room.”  
Again, I’m speechless. So, she named him Asher so she could shorten it to Ash like mine, maybe she really was taken by Robby. I follow the cute little Ash inside where he shows me around the condo before taking me into his room. His room is full of toys skillfully placed around the room. He shows them all to me one by one while telling me everything he knows about each individual one. He is so full of energy and talks ninety miles an hour, but it is cute.  
Around nine, Callie says, “Okay baby, it’s bedtime go get your night cloths on and I will come tuck you in.”  
“But mom, I want to stay up with mommy.” He says with a pout.  
“Sweetie, you will see her again soon. Now go get ready for bed and maybe you can talk mommy into reading you a bedtime story.”  
He looks at me and says, “Will you mommy?”  
I give Callie a look and say, “Sure thing, buddy. Go get dressed and I will be in there in a few minutes.”  
He smiles and runs off to his room. I look over at Callie and say, “You play dirty, you know that?”  
She looks at the floor and says, “What are you talking about?”  
Before I can answer, Asher yells, “Mommy, I’m ready for my story.”  
I glance at Callie and say, “We will talk after story time.” I walk down the hall to his room to find him dressed and already in bed with a book in his hand. I read him the book as Callie stands in the doorway watching. When I finish, I lean down and give him a kiss on his forehead and say goodnight. As I’m getting up off the bed, he grabs my hand and says, “Will you be here when I wake up mommy?”  
Callie says, “No baby we talked about that remember. Mommy is going to be staying at grandma’s house, remember.”  
Asher looks at me and says, “Why can’t you stay with mom and me?”  
Callie starts to say something, but I interrupt her, “Buddy, I know it is hard for you to understand but things are complicated for me right now. It is going to take some time to for me to get used to being back home after being gone for so long, but I can promise you that I will be around, and we will spend some time together real soon. How does that sound?”  
He says, “What’s so compacted? You are home now, and I want you to stay with us.”  
Now I’m getting a little pissed at Callie, I look over at her and she says, “Ash, we talked about this and I told you that things are complicated between your mommy and me right now because of something I did in the past. I told you that if you wanted to meet her that you had to promise not to start this, remember? You promised to take things slow and not pressure Ashley. Now go to sleep and we will talk more about this tomorrow, understand?”  
He sticks out his bottom lip and says, “I member, I sorry mommy. Thank you for coming to see me and I hope to see you soon. Goodnight.”  
I smile at him and say, “It’s okay buddy. I’m sorry things are so messed up right now but how about we make plans to spend all day Saturday together and you can pick what you want to do?”  
He perks up at this and says, “Really, do you mean it?”  
“As long as your mom says it is okay.”  
He looks over at Callie and says, “Mom can I, huh, please can I spend the day with mommy?”  
Callie smiles at me and says, “Sure baby.”  
He starts bouncing up and down on the bed and laughing and Callie looks at him and tells him that he has to go to bed now if he wants to be able to go on Saturday. He immediately lays down and closes his eyes. She turns on his night light and turns the light off as we walk out of his room.  
We go into the living room and Callie pours two glasses of wine and we sit on the couch. She looks at me and smiles, “He really likes you, Ashley. He hasn’t stopped asking about you since I got home from DC.”  
“Callie, this is the exact reason I said I wasn’t ready to meet him. Don’t get me wrong he is a cute kid, but I told you I don’t know where things are going for anyone at this moment and I don’t want him stuck in the middle of the situation with us and Lexa. You aren’t playing fair bringing him into the equation.”  
“Ashley, what are you talking about. He was always part of our plan, maybe not the way it happened but…look I understand things can’t go back to the way they were. All I’m asking is you give me a chance and spend time with Ash. I see the way you look at him, he is getting to you already.”  
“Exactly! That’s why I wanted to wait to meet him. I need to figure my stuff out first. Lexa and I are good together. If you hadn’t brought him into the equation, I wouldn’t even think twice about committing to her. You know she asked me to marry her before we came stateside, but after talking to my mom and hearing all the crap you had told Asher, I told her I wasn’t ready for that big of a commitment until I heard you out. Do you know what she said? She said that she wanted me to do what makes me happy and that she would wait on me until I told her not to. Can you believe that?”  
“Ashley, I know I fucked up. I should have never believed Robby but, in my defense, you trusted him too. That’s not the point though, the point is I still love you. I have never stopped loving you and I just want a chance to prove that to you. I’m sorry that I used Ash to get you here, but can you please just give me a chance get to know me again and if you decide to be with Lexa, I won’t stand in your way but don’t blame Ash it was my fault. I was the one who told him you were his mommy.”  
My phone buzzes with a text from Lexa saying she is staying over at Octavia’s tonight. Great, can this night get any better! How am I supposed to sleep without her beside me?  
Callie says, “What’s wrong?”  
I look at her and ask her what she means. She says I made that face that I make when I don’t like what’s happening. I say, “I don’t know what you are talking about but that was a text from Lexa saying she is staying over at Octavia’s tonight.”  
“That’s good. It means you can stay here, and we can get to know each other again.”  
“Fine, but I’m not staying the night because I don’t want to confuse Asher any more than he already is.”  
“Deal. We will just talk for a while.”  



	6. Lexa

Octavia changed her clothes and said that the club was within walking distance, so we headed out. It only took us about twenty minutes to get there and even though it was already around midnight, there was a line that was at least a block long. I looked at Octavia and said, “This line is crazy long, I doubt we will even get in before last call.”  
She just smiled and said, “Follow me, the Dragon’s Den is always packed but I’m a regular so we shouldn’t have a problem getting in. Come on.”  
I followed her as she walked right up to the door man and said, “Hey Zack, this is my friend Lexa. She is new to town and I want to show her a good time. Can you help me out?”  
He looks me over and says, “Damn O, you sure know how to find the hottest girls in town. When are you going to hook a brother up? Go on in, Clarke and Finn are already here.”  
Octavia thanks him and we walk right in. Once inside, I follow her to a corner table in the back where a group of people around our age is already sitting. They all greet Octavia and then look to me. I just say, “Hello.”  
Octavia says these are my friends and then starts pointing and naming. She first points to a tall, chocolate skin girl with black hair and green eyes and says her name is Emily Rodriguez but everyone calls her Emmy. Next is a girl who is in great shape. She introduces her as Jessica Johnston, but she goes by Jess. She has fair skin and golden hair with amazing blue eyes. I give her the once over. She is wearing a pair of short shorts that shows off her muscular legs paired with a short shirt that gives a peak at her abs. She is hot.  
Octavia must see the way I am eying her because she points and says, “This is Clementine Angel Newman, known as Angie. She is Jess’s girlfriend.”  
I look at Angie, who is overweight, average height and has light skin, red hair, and green eyes, then back to Jess. I don’t really know what to make of the pair but to each their own, but I wouldn’t mind getting to know Jess a little better. Angie must sense it and pulls Jess in closer and kisses her on the cheek.  
Next comes a pair of guys that even without Octavia telling me, I can tell they are together by the way they are sitting basically on top of each other. She points to the first one and says, “This is Joshua Davis who goes by Josh and his boyfriend Ernest Alfie Porter. Then we have Samuel Jones known to us all by Sami.”  
Following Sami comes another couple that Octavia introduces as Morgana Jacey Cole who goes by Jace and her boyfriend Ahmed Williams. When she says the name Ahmed, I do a double take, but he looks nothing like the Ahmed I knew. This Ahmed is tall with chocolate skin, but he has red hair and some freckles. He looks to be in decent shape but nothing special. When my eyes meet Jace, I see a pair of gorgeous cobalt blue eyes. She is wearing a cute red dress with spaghetti straps that shows off her broad athletic shoulders and toned legs. I can tell she is in exceptionally good shape and is tall with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail.  
Octavia smiles at me and says, “Last but not least, everyone’s favorite couple, Finn Collins and Charlotte Clarke Griffin.”  
I look first at Finn, he is in rather good shape and has long brown hair pulled up in a man bun, dark brown eyes, and olive skin. He is cute for a guy. I hear someone clear their throat and look to see Charlotte staring at me. When I look at her the first thing, I notice are her emerald green eyes. She looks to be about five foot four with shoulder length curly blonde hair. Her face has a roundish shape, and she has the cutest dimple in her chin. She has on a pair of black jeans, and white t-shirt under a black leather jacket. I can’t seem to take my eyes off of her until I hear Finn give a fake cough. As I glance at him, I can see that he doesn’t like the way I’m looking at his girlfriend. He reaches around and puts his arm around her waist. I’m going to have to be careful around her, but I really would like to get to know her better. Although that probably isn’t a good idea considering she has a boyfriend.  
She looks me up and down the same as I do her before saying, “No one calls me Charlotte, I go by Clarke. O just likes pissing me off by calling me Charlotte, have a seat.” I hear her say under her breath, “No wander my mom can’t stop talking about you.”  
I snap my head back to look at her and say, “What was that?”  
She blushes and says, “Huh, what? I said what would you like to drink?”  
I smirk and say, “Really, that’s not what I heard but I’ll take a margarita and two shots of tequila. By the way, who is your mom?”  
Octavia speaks up, “Her mom is Abby. Why do you know her or something?”  
I look at Clarke and say, “Really? You’re Abby’s daughter, what are the odds.” I then look at Octavia and say, “Yeah, I know Abby really well. I met her in Afghanistan before coming here. I thought you knew that. Blake didn’t tell you?”  
Octavia says, “No, he didn’t tell me that Abby was back over there. Did you know that was where she was Clarke? And Lexa why do you call Bellamy, Blake?”  
Clarke says, “Yeah, I knew she was somewhere over there, but I didn’t realize she was at the same base as Bellamy.”  
About this time my drinks arrive, and I hand one shot to Octavia and say, “To new friendships!” I tap her glass and we drink.   
Jess says, “What the hell, you can’t do shots without the rest of us. That’s not fair!”  
I laugh and say, “My bad, no problem. I will go order a round for everyone. Does everyone drink tequila?” Everyone nods affirmative. I proceed to the bar and order a bottle of Patron and 12 shot glasses from the bar. I came back and lined up the shot glasses and poured the shots. I hold up my glass and said, “To new friendships!” Everyone raised their glass and echoed my toast, and we drank. I poured another round, and we drank again.  
Octavia says, “Okay Lexa I want to see your moves,” and she grabs my hand and pulls me out onto the dance floor. We dance for a few songs before heading back to the table. She says, “Damn girl you do have some moves.”  
When we make it back to the table, Jace says, “You two look so cute together. O why didn’t you tell us you had a new girl?”  
Octavia says, “What? No, we aren’t together. We are more like sisters. Her and my brother are like best friends or something.”  
Sami speaks up, “So does that mean you are single, Lexa?”  
I reply, “I guess you could say that. It is sort of complicated but yeah, right now I’m single.” With that I pick up the bottle to pour another shot. I ask, “Would anyone else like another shot?” Jace, Jess, Emily and Octavia all raise their hand, so I pour them one as well.  
I spend the next couple of hours dancing and getting to know everyone a little better. Before long I have a fairly good buzz going and I am having a great time. I finally got a chance to talk to Clarke and ask her about what she meant by her earlier comment? She tries to play it off by saying she doesn’t remember but then I say what did you mean about your mom talking about me. She said, “I just meant that my mom has talked a lot about you and Ash lately. She keeps talking about what an amazing person you are and how you saved Ash’s life.”  
I reply, “Oh, yeah that. I would rather not talk about that now. I just saw the way you looked me over and then the comment you made, I thought you may be into me. My mistake guess that was just my wishful thinking, but you are with Finn. Sorry, I should stop talking now.”  
I think to myself, what the hell are you doing? Get a grip on yourself, Lexa. I think I need to dance some more and get away from Clarke. Unfortunately, everyone else is dancing with someone so I look around and see a girl standing alone at the bar and ask her to dance. Soon the lights are blinking, and Octavia is telling me it means last call if I want another drink and the bar will be closing in about a half hour.  
I decide to grab another margarita and have a seat at the table. Jess, Sami and Jace are already at the table so I ask them if they need anything before, I sit down. All three say they will have another beer. Once we all have our drinks, Sami asks, “So Lexa how do you know O and Bellamy?”  
I reply, “The short version is I met Blake or Bellamy as you call him when I was just a kid in Afghanistan and Octavia through him. I guess you could say Octavia was nice enough to send me letters and things over the years.”  
Jace says, “What were you doing in Afghanistan? Are you in the military?”  
I say, “Sort of, I guess. I was in an orphanage over there when I was young and then ended up helping Blake and the army out.” I purposefully leave out Ash because I just don’t want to get into that while I’m having such a good time.  
Jess says, “Cool, did you see any action? Did you have to kill anyone?”  
Jace and Sami both yells, “Jess, what the hell!”  
I laugh and say, “It’s fine guys. Jess to answer your questions, yes I saw plenty of action and yes unfortunately I had to kill some people.” Now the entire group came back to the table and set down.  
Angie sits between Jess and I and says, “So what are you guys talking about, babe?”  
Jess replies, “We were just getting to know Lexa better. Did you guys know she saw action while she was in Afghanistan and actually had to kill people.”  
Everyone looked at me and I could feel my cheeks turning red. Clarke looked at me and said, “You know you don’t have to answer all their questions, right? Guys I really don’t think Lexa wants to have to relive her time over there for your amusement. Why don’t you leave her alone, unless you have something to ask her that doesn’t involve Afghanistan?”  
I smile and say, “Thanks Clarke but I really don’t mind. I will answer all of your questions honestly but just realize when you ask them that you may not like the answers that you get and some of you may not like me after you hear everything, but I have learned that it is better to be up front with people from the beginning. I have recently realized that I just need to focus on me and what I want. Just be me, not who I think everyone else wants me to be. I don’t want to be defined by my past but what I do with the knowledge that came from it, that is what will help define who I become. I have also realized people will come and go but I have to stay and be able to look myself in the mirror and know that what I am doing is right no matter what anyone else thinks. I will always have scars, but I shouldn’t be embarrassed by them, they should remind me of what I have survived and how it has helped to shape my life.”  
Jess smiles and says, “Damn girl that is deep. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”  
I smile at her and she licks her lips and winks at me. What the hell, her girlfriend is sitting right there. Octavia looks at me and then everyone else before saying, “Okay guys, I think it is time to call it a night. This conversation is getting too deep for our drunk asses. Why don’t we all meet for dinner tomorrow night and you can ask all your questions then. Is that good with you Lexa?”  
I say sure and everyone else agrees. Octavia tells them that she will text them tomorrow and let them know a time and place then we all get up to leave. As we are walking out, the girl I danced with earlier comes up and hands me a piece of paper and kisses me on the cheek. Octavia looks at me and smiles, “Well, didn’t take you long to get your first admirer.”  
I look at her and can feel my cheeks heat up, “I don’t know what you are talking about. She is just someone I was dancing with.”   
“Sure, okay and the fact that she gave you her number?”  
I just shrug my shoulders. Even though it’s super late or early depending on the way you look at it, we decide to walk the twenty minutes back to Octavia’s house. By the time we get there I have sobered up and I’m ready to crash. I grab my bag out of the jeep on the way inside and Octavia says I can either sleep with her or I can have Bellamy’s room.  
I’m not really sure what the protocol for sleep overs is because the only person I have ever slept with was Ash. I guess Octavia sees the confusion on my face because she asks, “What’s wrong?”  
I look at the floor and say, “I’ve never slept over at anyone’s house, so I don’t know what the protocol is for the sleeping arrangements.”  
She laughs until she notices that I’m being serious. “Oh, you aren’t joking. Well, I guess it is whatever you are comfortable with. Usually when I have someone over, they just sleep with me, but whichever is fine.”  
“I’m sorry, I just don’t have much experience with friendships and the things normal people usually know. You have to understand that the way I grew up was vastly different from the way most people our age did. I went from an orphanage to being a solider so it would be helpful if you could explain things that I should know when they come up.”  
She smiles and says, “Sure, no problem. I guess I forget that because I feel like we have known each other forever. I can definitely help you with your social skills but right now let’s go to sleep.”  



	7. Ash

I get home around midnight and find my mom sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me to come home like she did when I was younger. I shake my head and say, “You know you don’t have to wait up on me anymore, right? I’ve been to a war zone more than once and can take care of myself.”  
“I know honey. I just thought you may want to talk when you got home, that’s all. How did it go? What did you think of Ash?”  
“It was a little overwhelming. He calls me mommy and acts like he has known me forever. I mean he’s cute and smart, but I just don’t know if I’m ready to be mommy, but I don’t really have a choice. In his mind I am already his mommy and I can’t break his little heart. He is innocent in all of this, so I guess whether I’m ready or not I have to be a mommy. The problem is what is Lexa going to think of all of this?”  
Mom says, “Baby, I’m sorry Callie and I have pushed you into the role of Ash’s mommy. I had no idea that you would meet someone over there, but he is an inquisitive little boy, and he was asking so many questions, we just didn’t know what to tell him. I am so sorry. I’m sure Lexa will understand as long as you are happy.”  
“That’s the problem mom, I don’t know if I am happy about having a son or not. I feel like that makes me a bad person, but this is just a lot to take in, especially after being away for so long and everything that has happened while I have been gone.”  
“Ashley, it is just going to take time for you to get used to being back and just know that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. You just have to figure out the best way to handle it and be happy at the same time. Ash is young, he will be able to adapt to whatever you decide as long as you are in his life. You always wanted kids so just make the best of what you have been delt.”  
“Mom, I know I always wanted kids, but I wanted them with my wife which in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have. I did enjoy hanging out with Asher, but I don’t know if I want to be sucked back into Callie’s world. I mean I know now everything wasn’t her fault but what happened shattered my heart and it has taken five years to put it back together. Then I met Lexa who has been honest with me from day one and never lied to me or left my side. She was able to break down my walls and make me love again, now I am pushing her away and she doesn’t deserve it. I just don’t know what to do.”  
“Speaking of Lexa, have you heard from her? She hasn’t come home yet.”  
“Yeah, she text earlier and said she was going to stay over at Octavia’s tonight. I should probably text her just to make sure everything is going okay.”  
“Ashley, Lexa is a strong young woman who has finally got the freedom she deserves. I feel like she can handle any situation that is thrown her way. That being said, she needs you in her life even if it is just as friends. You two have a bond that can never be broken whether you end up together or as friends, you need each other. Besides, you know what I believe. If it is meant to be then it will be no matter what. Just remember that.”  
“Thanks, mom. I know you are right, and I am overthinking everything, but it is just a lot to process. I went from being a solider with a beautiful loving girlfriend to a mommy and single in the matter of a day, but you are right. I will figure it out and no matter what, Lexa will always be a part of my life. She’s family! I think I’m going to head to bed now. See you in the morning.”  
I go to my room and flop on my bed and think about everything. I think I need to take a page out of Lexa’s playbook and just go with the flow and do what makes me happy. I need to just be me and reacclimate to civilian life and just see where it leads. I want to spend time with Asher and get to know him better because whether I like it or not, I am a mommy now. I decide to text Lexa and see if she is okay.  
Me: ‘Hey, everything going ok.’ It takes her about five minutes to respond.  
Lexa: ‘Yes, just got to The Dragon’s Den. Going dancing. You ok?’  
Me: ‘Yep, just got home. Going to try and sleep. Will I see you tomorrow?’  
Lexa: ‘Yeah, but IDK what time. Will text you when I get up. Good night.’  
Me: ‘K, good night. Have fun!’   
I throw my phone down and debate on getting dressed and going to the Dragon’s Den to meet her but decide that I should let her have some space. Instead, I get up and go lay in the sauna for about thirty minutes before showering and laying down.


	8. Lexa

O and I sleep in until around noon. Over brunch we talk about how much fun we had last night and start to plan what we want to do tonight. She says that there is a great Mexican restaurant that she and her friends like to go that’s right on the beach, but it is about a half hour away. We decide to meet up with everyone there around seven tonight and then she says there is another dance club nearby that we can go to after dinner. I tell her that sounds good but that I need to run home and grab some more clothes, but I would be back here at six to pick her up.  
I text Ash: ‘Hey on my way home.’   
Ash: ‘k, see you soon.’  
When I get back to Ash’s, I find her shooting basketball. I stand at the door and watch for a few minutes and realize that she never misses. As I stand and watch, I wonder why she didn’t go to college and play basketball instead of joining the Navy. I bet she could have gone anywhere she wanted and then on to the pros.  
I’m shaken from my thoughts when the ball hits me in the stomach. I grunt, “What the hell?”  
Ash is laughing, “It isn’t nice to lurk in the doorway.”  
“Sorry, it’s just I haven’t seen you or anyone for that matter shoot basketball. You are really good. Why didn’t you go to college and play?”  
“I was expected to join the military, so I didn’t really have a choice.”  
“I bet you still could if you wanted too. Looks to me like you’ve still got it.”  
“Thanks, but I just like to play around now, maybe some pickup games but nothing to serious. It’s fun for me but also therapeutic. When I need to think, I like to come here and shoot around and clear my head.”  
I smile at her, “I understand, I usually either run or workout to clear my head. I will leave you to it then.”  
“No, stay and shoot around with me.”  
We spend the next couple of hours shooting basketball. As we shoot around, we talk about last night. I tell her about my night, and she tells me about hers. She seems pretty torn on what to do about Asher and Callie. She says that no matter what happens she wants to be a mommy to Asher because he is innocent in all of this. I ask her if that’s really what she wants, or is she doing it because it’s what everyone expects her to do? She says that at one time that is all she wanted was to settle down with Callie and have a family but now she isn’t sure.  
I ask her, “Ash, am I the reason you aren’t sure anymore?”  
She says, “No, sweetie. It isn’t you, well not just you. I mean even though I know the truth about what happened with Callie back then, I still can’t forget how I felt. I don’t know if I can really ever trust her again, but I know I can trust you and I love you.”  
“I love you too, Ash but I don’t want you to choose me because you think I am the safe choice. I want you to choose me because I’m the only one for you. If you have doubts about that then maybe I’m not the one. I have no doubt that you are my end game. No matter how many people I date, if there is a choice, I will always choose you.”  
“Lexa, how can you say that? You haven’t ever known anyone but me, how can you be certain that I am the one for you and what about Asher, we are sort of a package deal now. He will always be a part of my life.”  
“Ash, that doesn’t matter to me as long as I have you. Look, I understand that I’m young and have only known you, but it is just what I feel deep in my heart, but I want you to take all the time you need. Maybe I can’t say for absolute certain but as of right now, I will always choose you. I will be here; I’m not going anywhere even if we aren’t together and if you choose Callie, I still want to be friends. I guess it’s like your mom and Abby keep saying, ‘If it’s meant to be then it will be!’”  
“Lexa, it’s not fair for me to ask you to wait around on me to decide what I want.”  
“Ash, you aren’t asking me too. I’m choosing too but at the same time, I’m going to go out and have fun. I’m not limiting myself to you, until you tell me that I’m the one you want, I’m going to go out and have fun and do what makes me happy and I want you to do the same.”  
While we talk, Ash teaches me how to shoot and a couple of what she calls post moves. By the time we finish, I have the hang of shooting within about five feet of the goal. Ash says that I would make a good post player. I look at the time and tell her that I need to get a shower and get ready because I have to pick up O at six.  
She looks at me with a sad look and says, “Oh, I thought we could maybe catch a movie or something tonight.”  
I reply, “Um, I’m sorry. It’s just that we planned to grab dinner with some friends from last night and then go dancing. Can we maybe hang out on Saturday, instead?”  
“I already promised Asher that I would hang out with him all day Saturday, but I bet he wouldn’t mind if you came along.”  
I smile and say, “No, you need time to bond with him and I would just be in the way. How about we plan on spending the day together on Sunday?”  
“Sure, that sounds good. Will you be home tonight?”  
“I doubt it, like I said we are going to dinner and then dancing. You can come if you want.”  
“I don’t know, you seem to be making some friends and I don’t want to get in the way.”  
“Ash, you are never in the way. Why don’t I text you where we end up going dancing and if you want to join us for a while that would be great but if not, that is fine too.”  
“Okay but I’m not promising anything.”  
She continues to shoot basketball while I head to get ready. I grab a shower and then try and decide on something to wear. Normally, I would have Ash pick out my outfit but…I decide on a pair of black skinny jeans paired with a pink V-neck t-shirt, a pair of black and white high-top converse and of course my leather jacket. I head up to the kitchen to grab something to drink before heading out and find Ash and Amelia sitting at the table talking.  
Amelia looks up at me and says, “You look nice, Lexa. What do you have planned for this evening?”  
I can feel my cheeks blush, “Thanks, Amelia. I’m meeting Octavia and some people I met last night for dinner and then dancing. Ash, I will text you when I know where we are going dancing so that you can meet us if you want too.” Ash just nods her head. I grab a drink from the fridge and go back downstairs. I grab my overnight bag and head to the jeep.   



	9. Lexa

I pull up to Octavia’s right at six and she is waiting on her front steps. She looks great. Apparently, we have the same sense of style because she also had on a black pair of jeans but instead of a t-shirt she had on a sweater and pair of tennis shoes. She has her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and jumps into the jeep.  
She looked at me and said, “So, how is Ash?”  
“Um, fine. Why do you ask?”  
She laughs, “Because you said she was spending time with Callie. How did that go?”  
“Okay, I guess. Ash is just really confused about everything and then there is the kid that Callie told all this time that Ash was his mommy.”  
“What, are you kidding me? Callie is really a piece of work.”  
“Yeah, I don’t know about her, but I just told Ash to do what makes her happy because that’s what I’m going to do. Now let’s go, I’m starving.”  
The drive takes more like an hour thanks to all the traffic. I don’t think I will ever get used to all the people and cars around here. When we finally get to the restaurant everyone else is already there at a huge table on a private deck overlooking the bay. Jess said that she had it reserved for us so we would have some privacy. I look around to see everyone from last night plus a couple of new faces.  
I say hello to everyone, and O introduces me to Devon and Becca. Devon Thornton is Emmy’s best friend. She is a little taller than me with pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes. Rebecca Johnson who goes by Becca is Sami’s roommate. She looks to be in good shape but is noticeably short. She has walnut skin, brown hair, and dark eyes.  
After the introductions, we have a seat and order drinks. Once we have placed our orders, Jess, who seems to be the spokesperson of the group, says, “Okay Lexa what’s your story?”  
Clarke says, “What the hell, Jess? Can’t we just get to know her like normal people?”  
I laugh and say, “It’s fine. I’m kind of used to it. What do you all want to know? Just remember I have had an extremely different life than any of you so don’t be surprised if you find that you don’t look at me the same way after you hear some of the things I have done.”  
Jess cuts her eyes at Clarke and then says, “Why don’t you just start at the beginning?”  
I say, “Okay, but after I tell you about myself, I think it is only fair that each of you tell me something about yourselves. Before I start let me order a round of shots for everyone.”  
We take the shots and then I start my story. I tell them about my childhood in the orphanage and how I met Blake when I was a kid, and he was stationed at the army base near the orphanage where I was living. I tell them how he helped me learn English and how to read because over there being a female meant that you didn’t get the same education as males did. I explain how I was moved from that orphanage to a different one that was away from Blake but that he and Octavia would still write to me at least until the school was bombed and I went missing.  
I go on to tell them about the bombing and the seven years I spent with Ahmed training to be a solider. I explain how I met Abby at her clinic when I was trying to get information for Ahmed on the American’s by saying that I needed a vaccination and how the next time I went to the clinic Blake was there and how happy he was to see me because he thought that I was dead.  
Octavia speaks up, “Yeah, can remember how hard he took it when he found out your school had been bombed and he couldn’t find you. I don’t think he would have ever stopped looking for you. At the time, I didn’t know why he was so attached to you but then he explained to me the conditions of things over there and what you had been through and were still going through and I came to understand, especially after all the letters we exchanged. I couldn’t believe how hopeful you managed to stay living in those conditions.”  
I say, “It is just a choice I made. I didn’t want to let anger and hate take over, so I chose to hope for a better life and luckily it happened for me thanks to Blake, Abby, Ash and a few other people.”  
I go on to explain how Blake and I came up with broad plan with the help of his Commander to try and get me away from Ahmed while taking down his cell.  
Clarke says, “So how did you meet Ashley?”  
I smile and say, “Well, that’s where things begin to get complicated…”  
Clarke interrupts, “Why because you fell for her?”  
I laugh but feel my cheeks start to burn, “No, because that is when I had to start killing people. Besides, Ash didn’t trust anyone and that definitely included me. Why are you so interested in my relationship with Ash?”  
She starts to stutter, “Um, well, only because you said last night you were single but from what I hear you and Ash are together.”  
O says, “Clarke, I thought we wanted to get to know Lexa and what she has been through, not grill her on her relationships. Besides, aren’t you and Finn dating?”  
Everyone laughs at this comment. I say, “Clarke to answer your question, yes Ash and I had a relationship while we were in Afghanistan, but we are no longer together. We are just friends, but she will always be a big part of my life because of what we went through together and how she helped me get to America.”  
Now it is Jess’s turn to ask me about Ash. Jess says, “So, just to be clear, you and Ashley Fletcher are no longer together but you are living with her?”  
Octavia starts to speak but I say, “Apparently, everyone is more interested in my romantic relationships so let me go ahead and address that first. Yes, Ash and I were together while we were over there, but we aren’t any longer. Do I still love her? Yes, and I always will, but I’m sure each one of you have a first love that you still have feelings for also. To answer Jess’s question, yes right now I am staying with Ash and Amelia, but I have my own space in their gigantic house. Ash and I are friends only so if anyone is interested, I am single. Now are there any questions related to anything other than my personal life?”  
Finn speaks for the first time and asks, “So, what did happen when you met Ashley? You said you had to start killing people, what do you mean by that?”  
“So, here are where things get brutal and I really don’t want to go into all the details of what happened but if after I give you the short version you have questions, I will answer them truthfully.”  
I start by explaining how it took me forever to gain Ahmed’s trust because of all the trouble I caused in the beginning and how the mission I was on when I met Ash was my first real mission. “It was supposed to be an easy mission given the info that Blake had given me. My team was supposed to go and warn Azan about a military raid and escort the convoy to a new location. When we got to Azan’s hideout, Omar, Ahmed’s second introduced me to Ash. Keep in mind that I was the sole female solider in Ahmed’s camp and other than Abby and some of the men’s wives, I hadn’t seen or spoken to another female since the bombing of the school when I was eighteen. That being said, I’m sure you have all seen Ash and well…I mean come on who wouldn’t think she was gorgeous. Needless to say, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and I stuttered like a schoolgirl, so much so Omar was making rude comments.”  
Everyone started laughing at this, except for Clarke. “Anyway, once I was over the shock of meeting her everything seemed to be going alright, until Omar informed her that I would be her partner for the convoy mission. That’s when the shit hit the fan! She went ballistic about how she didn’t trust anyone especially someone she had just met, blah, blah, blah. After that she turned into an ice-cold bitch and made me spend the entire night proving that I could shoot and fight since I would be covering her ass.”  
Jess says, “Yeah, that sounds about right for Ashley.”  
“The thing is, I understood where she was coming from. At the time neither of us realized that we were actually working for the same people. She had no idea that I was helping Blake and the Navy, and I had no idea that she was working deep cover for the CIA. I think the only reason I wasn’t acting the exact same way was that I didn’t have a choice. I had to do what I was told, so if I was told to be her partner and protect her ass…well, that’s what I was determined to do. The fact that I could see a reflection of myself in her only made it easier for me to promise to keep her safe and watch her six.”  
Clarke asks, “What do you mean you saw a reflection of yourself in her?”  
“I mean that when I looked into her eyes, I saw someone who didn’t care if they lived or died. Someone who only trusted themselves and only wanted to complete the job at hand. Someone who had nothing to lose.”  
Clarke says, “So you’re saying that you don’t care if you live or die?”  
“No, what I’m saying is at that point in my life, I didn’t care. Now I care very much because now I can make my own choices and not have to listen to what someone else says that I have to do whether I believe in it or not. Over there, I was being forced by Ahmed to fight in a war that I didn’t believe in. I never bought into the Taliban’s beliefs that the Americans were horrible and trying to take over the Afghani way of life.”  
Finn says, “How did you end up saving Ashley’s life?”  
“I’m getting there. After gaining enough of Ash’s trust to at least cover her ass, we set out on our mission of relocating Ahmed’s stuff. We were tasked with bringing up the rear on an ATV modified for two, with machine guns etc. Remember this was supposed to be an easy mission because Blake had given me the tip and the US military wasn’t going to be a problem. Unfortunately, we ran into a problem when we were going through the valley and Ash was almost shot by a sniper.”  
Octavia says, “Bellamy said you saved pretty much the entire convey and was shot in the process. Is that true?”  
“Well, um, yeah. I jumped in front of the bullet meant for Ash.”  
Clarke asks, “Is that how you ended up needing the surgery performed by mom?”  
“Um, no. I needed the surgery to remove my spleen after being injured by the shrapnel from the land mine and punched repeatedly in the spleen area, which ruptured it.”  
Jess says, “Okay, I feel like you left out a lot of details about the valley. Why don’t you tell us what really happened?”  
“Fine, Ash and I were bringing up the rear of the convoy on an ATV that had been modified for two people and combat. Ash was driving and I was the gunner. The lead vehicle in the convoy hit a land mine and then the shit went crazy. I took out a guy with a rocket launcher before he could take out the van with all the guys on it but in doing that, I gave the sniper time to lock in on Ash. Instead of letting her get shot in the head I took the bullet in the shoulder. After that Ash and I took out the rest of the snipers. Then dumbass Azan stepped on a land mine near me and I was hit by shrapnel in the side. We had to abandon the mission and hide at a safe house near town, where a doctor patched me up. I didn’t trust the doctor, so I wanted to go see Abby. The next day, Ash made arrangements for us to leave and go see Abby then report back to Ahmed. Omar said something inappropriate and I broke his nose, then he used me as a punching bag while two of his guys held me. That is why I needed surgery.”  
Jace said, “Wow, so you have been shot before? Do you have a scar?”  
Clarke says, “Jace, that is not an appropriate question and it’s rude.”  
I just shake my head and take off my jacket and pull the neck of my shirt down so they can see it and then turn around so they can see the exit wound. They all look amazed. Then Angie said, “What does the tattoo around it say?”  
“It says, Ash at the Valley 08-22-20.”  
Jess said, “Wow that’s cool. Do you have any more scars?”  
I have to laugh at this because I have many more but I’m not going to sit here and undress, so instead I say, “Yes but I’m not going to show mine if you all don’t have any to show me.” They all look at me like I’m crazy. “I’m just kidding guys, but yes I have more but no I’m not going to show them to you.”  
O asks the next question, “Bellamy said that you were granted US citizenship and received medals from the Secretary of the Navy, is that true?”  
“Yes, I was granted citizenship for the part that I had in taking down Ahmed and his terrorist cell. Ash and I were both awarded the purple heart for being injured in combat.”  
Jess says, “You left out the part where Ash was injured. What happened to her? I thought you took the bullet for her.”  
“I did, but we were sent on another mission by Ahmed and Omar and his guys ambushed us when we were leaving because we had proof that he was the one who tipped off the enemy about the first mission. As we were leaving the compound, our vehicle was hit by blowback from a rocket launcher and was flipped. Omar took Ash because he suspected that she was a spy, which she was. He then ordered the rest of my team and me to be executed but they were sloppy, and we escaped.”  
Clarke asks, “Who rescued Ash?”  
“Well, um, I did but I’m not going into details about how. When I got to her, she had been tortured and beaten. I called Blake for a medivac and we took her to Abby. She had a lot of injuries, but the worst was that her brain was swollen and she was in a coma for four months.”  
Finn says, “Well, I guess you think you are a hero or something since you saved lives and took down a group of terrorists. If that’s the case, why are you here? Why aren’t you working for the CIA or something?”  
Octavia says, “What the hell, Finn? What’s your problem?”  
I look at him and grin before saying, “I don’t think of myself as a hero, just someone who wants to help others and do the right thing. I’m sorry if I make you insecure but I’m just trying to enjoy myself for a change.”  
O laughs and says, “Yeah Finn, what’s wrong? Do you think Lexa is going to take all the girls once they find out she is a true American war hero at the age of what 25?”  
Everyone laughs and Jace says, “I wouldn’t doubt it. I mean she is amazingly hot and then you add hero on top of her hotness, and she will probably have girls hanging all over her.”  
I know my face turns red at this, but I just smirk and say, “Whatever guys, I’m not a hero just someone who does what I think is right and I protect my friends and loved ones.”  
Clarke says, “Lexa, mom also said that you and Ash received the Congressional Medal of Honor from the President. Is that true?”  
“Well, yes but guys really, I was just doing what was right. I don’t need medals or honors for doing what I think is right. I don’t want you all to think I’m a snob or stuck up just because of the medals because I’m not. I just want the chance to fit in and have a good time.”  
I’m saved by O saying, “Speaking of good time, let’s head to the club. Drinks are on the war hero tonight. Right Lexa?”  
“Sure, why not. Drinks are on me tonight so everyone drink up. Where are we going?”  
Octavia looks around and says, “What do you think guys up for some country line dancing tonight?”  
Everyone nods yes. I say, “Wait, what? I’ve never been line dancing before.”  
O says, “That settles it then, Sundance Saloon it is.” I say, “Hold up, the deal was I told you my story and each of you have to tell me something about yourself.” O says, “Fine, I will go first. I fight in an underground fight club.” Clarke says, “I like to draw.” Finn says, “Whatever, I like horror movies.” Devon, “I like to bake.” Emmy, “I’m allergic to sugar.” Jess, “I have a phobia of bees.” Angie, “I like reading.” Sami, “I have a sever phobia of sharks ever since I was bitten by one.” Josh, “I love to play chess.” Earnie, “I am good at working on cars.” Ahmed, “I like drone photography.” Jace, “I’m bi-sexual.” Octavia says, “Now can we go dancing?”


	10. Lexa

Sami and Becca decide to ride with Octavia and me and the rest spilt up and say they will meet us there. I send Ash a quick text telling her where we are going and then follow O’s directions. About ten minutes later we pull in a parking garage and walk about a block before you see the line to get in. Once again, I follow Octavia straight to the door where the doorman lets us go right in.  
I can’t believe what I see when I get inside. There are tons of people lined up in rows dancing to the song the DJ is playing while shouting out different words. I look at Octavia and say, “What the hell is this? I have never seen anything like this before!”  
She replies, “It is called country line dancing. The DJ plays a song and then calls out the moves to the dance and everyone does them.”  
“I don’t know about this.”  
She laughs, “It isn’t as hard as it looks, and they play other music also and they do square dancing too.”  
“What is square dancing?”  
Jess walks up and says, “Oh, this is going to be fun. We will teach you, but first let’s find a table and order up some drinks.”  
I spend the next hour or so just watching trying to figure out all the moves that go with the words the DJ says and of course drinking to loosen up. O finally decides it is time for me to try to square dance. I follow her out onto the floor and follow her lead. I catch on pretty quickly, which is good considering no one told me we would be switching partners randomly. I end up dancing with Jess, Charly and then end up with some people I don’t know. The song seems to go on forever, but I’m having a good time.  
When the song does end, I head back over to the table where Jess has a round of my favorite shots waiting. We throw them back just in time for the next line dance. Jess drags me out there between her and O. The music starts and I try to find my rhythm, but this is just so different than anything I have ever tried before, and I screw up and go back when I’m supposed to go forward and bump into this large, manly looking girl who doesn’t take it lightly. I quickly say excuse me and sorry, but she just shoves me into Octavia.  
Before I can say anything, O gets up in her face and says, “What the hell, Jack? She’s learning and we are just trying to have a good time. Back off!”  
I step in between them and say, “It’s okay O, I got this.” I look at Jack and say, “I’m Lexa and this is my first time, line dancing. I’m sorry I messed you up, let me buy you a drink to make up for it. How does that sound?”  
Jack looks between O and me before saying, “Sure, that sounds good. Octavia you should learn some manners from your friend here.”  
O says, “Lexa, you don’t owe this bitch anything. She is just mad because I kicked her ass last month in the cage.”  
At this Jack lunges for Octavia but I step up and say, “O, stop. Just go to the table while I buy my new friend here a drink.” Luckily, this works, and Octavia leaves, and I buy Jack a bottle of Gin with the understanding she doesn’t start anything else.  
When I get back to the table, I look at O and say, “What the hell, Octavia? I just want to have a good time, not get into fights with steroid Jane over there.”  
Everyone laughs at the name I give Jack. Angie says, “Jack is still mad because Octavia beat her in the last fight at the cage, that’s all.”  
O says, “Yeah, she was undefeated until I beat her, and she is still mad about it.”  
I reply, “What are you all talking about? What is the cage?”  
Clarke says, “It is an underground, illegal fight that is held every Saturday. Octavia fights almost every week.”  
I just shake my head and say, “You have got to be kidding me. Does Blake know about this?”  
O says, “No and you aren’t going to tell him, right?”  
“I guess not but why are you fighting in illegal fights?”  
Octavia laughs, “Duh, for the money and because it’s fun.”  
“We will talk about this later. Who wants a shot?”  
Everyone raises their hand, no surprise since I’m buying. For the next hour or so, we drink and dance. I’m getting rather good at this line dancing by now and I start to freestyle a little and soon I have random people, girls and guys coming up to me asking me to dance. After about another half hour, I need a break and head for the bar to get a drink. I order a shot of tequila and a margarita. As I stand there waiting on my drink, I see a beautiful blonde at the other end of the bar with a guy on one side and a very butch looking girl on the other side of her. From where I’m standing, I can’t hear what is being said but from the looks of it the blonde is not happy. The butch girl puts her arm around the blonde’s waist and pulls her in close to whisper something into her ear. The blonde smacks butch across the face and tries to walk away but the guy grabs her.  
I’m not sure what is going on, but my gut tells me that the blonde needs help, so I walk toward them. When I reach the end of the bar, I step up to the bar between butch and the blonde and motion for the bar tender. I look at the blonde and say, “Hey baby, what’s taking so long on getting our drinks?”  
She gives me a confused look but then realizes what I’m trying to do and says, “Sorry, honey, the service here is a bit slow.”  
The butch girl and guy look at me and then the blonde. I look at them and say, “Can I help you guys with something?”  
Butch looks me up and down and says, “Who are you and why are you trying to coke block me?”  
I smirk, “I’m Lexa and you are bothering my girl. Why don’t you and your friend go bother someone else.”  
Dude says, “If this is your girl, why is she up here alone and you are out there dancing with anyone who walks up to you?”  
I laugh and say, “Okay you got me. She’s not my girl yet but she will be by the end of the night so why don’t you both run along, you don’t stand a chance against me.” I look at the blonde and wink.  
They look at each other like they are debating on what to say before they just turn and walk away. The blonde looks at me and says, “Thank you but I won’t be your girl by the end of the night. I don’t care if you did just save me from those two, I don’t do one-night stands.” With that she turns to walk away.  
I shake my head and say, “Can I at least get your name and buy you a drink?”  
She looks over her shoulder at me and smirks, “Nope, but thanks for your help.”  
I watch as she walks away, she is tall and athletic. She has long slender muscles and broad shoulders. Her skin is rather pale, but she has blonde hair and dark green eyes. I think to myself, what the hell just happened? Usually, if you help someone out, they at least give you their name. Whatever, I grab my drink and head back over to the table.  
Sami and Becca are the only ones currently at the table, so I point to the blonde and ask them if they know who she is. Becca starts laughing and says, “Don’t waste your time on that one, she is a royal bitch. Her name is Alice Wood, and she is a spoiled bitch. She’s cocky and a tease.”  
I laugh, “Well okay then, why don’t you tell me how you really feel Becca?”  
Sami laughs and says, “She’s not wrong. She is one of the youngest pro golfers on the PGA tour and she thinks she is hot shit. I’m with Becca on this, I wouldn’t waste the energy.”  
“I don’t know, I like a challenge.”  
Becca laughs and says, “If you want a challenge you should go after Clarke. I see the way you look at each other and she always sticks up for you.”  
I was stunned, “What? She’s with Finn. I’m not going to be the type of person that breaks couples up, besides, she acts like she hates me.”  
Sami says, “That’s just Clarke, she acts that way about everyone. She doesn’t like to let anyone get close to her. Hell, even Finn hasn’t completely broken through her walls and they have been together for a couple of years now.”  
“Whatever, I think I will take my chances with Ms. Pro golfer.” I get up and start to head in the direction Alice walked off in and run right into Ash. I smile and say, “Hey, you made it. Great, let me get you a drink. Do you want the usual?”  
She laughs and says, “Sure.”  
I instinctively grab her hand and lead her over to the table. I start to introduce her, but Becca gets up and hugs Ash before saying, “It is good to see you again Ashley. How have you been?”  
Ash smiles and says, “I’m doing alright, Becca. How are you?”  
They begin talking and I look at Sami and he shrugs his shoulders. I decide to just go to the bar and order drinks. When I get to the bar, I order a bottle of Patron and 15 shot glasses. While I wait, I can’t help but think about how Ash seems to know everyone but then I remember that she did go to high school here and Becca looks to be around her age. The bar tender places the bottle and glasses in front of me and I grab them and turn to leave. I’m in a hurry and don’t see that someone has come up behind me at the bar, so when I turn, I run right into her.   
I start to say I’m sorry when I realize that it is the blonde with the green eyes and I just stop and stare at her. She clears her throat and says, “Hey watch where you are going.” Then she laughs.  
I look at her and smirk, “Are you following me? I offered to buy you a drink if you wanted to get to know me you should have accepted my offer. Then you wouldn’t have to follow me around.”  
She looks me over like she is seeing me for the first time. Then she says, “Don’t flatter yourself, I’m just waiting on my drink.”  
“Suit yourself, my offer still stands. My friends and I were just about to have a few shots if you would like to join us.” I don’t wait for an answer, I just turn and head back to the table. When I get back to the table the group has grown and surprisingly the blonde has followed me back to the table. Everyone is now at the table because the music has stopped.   
Clarke looks at Ash and then me, before saying, “If you aren’t with Ashley anymore, why is she here?”  
“I told you we are still friends, so I invited her. Is this a problem?”  
Finn speaks up and says, “Nope, not at all. Maybe now we will hear the real story of what happened in the valley because I don’t think you told us the whole story. So, Ash, what is your side of the story?”  
Octavia says, “What the hell is your problem, Finn? Are you really that vulnerable that you think she is making up what happened?”  
I chuckle and say, “Hey guys, this is…”  
I look to the blonde and she smirks, “Allie.”  
“Okay, this is Allie, and she will be joining us. Allie this is Octavia, Ash…” I continue around the table until I have introduced everyone and then I just start pouring shots and look at Ash. She looks like a deer caught in a spotlight. I can’t help but laugh. I hand her a shot and everyone else grabs theirs and we throw them back. I pour another round and then the DJ says, “I’m going to switch things up for the next half hour we are going to salsa.” There are some groans from the crowd but there are also some cheers.  
I look to the group and say, “Who wants to salsa?” To my surprise, everyone shakes their head no, even O. “What the hell is wrong with you guys, does no one like to salsa?” Everyone just laughs at me. “Whatever, sorry Ash that means it’s just me and you.”  
Ash looks at me and says, “I don’t think so. You aren’t making me dance tonight.”  
“Really? Then why even bother coming if you aren’t going to dance?”  
Clarke says, “Yeah, Ashley why did you come out here tonight, if not to dance?”  
That’s when Jess speaks up, “Clarke, everyone knows that Ashley Fletcher can’t dance. She probably just came out to keep an eye on Lexa.”  
Ash suddenly turns red and says, “Oh, hey little Jessie. I didn’t know you were a part of this group. How have you been?”  
Jess’s face turned bright red at this, and everyone laughed. “I’m doing good, how’s my sister and Asher? I heard you spent some time with them recently.”  
I look between the two of them and say, “What?”  
Ash says, “Didn’t anyone tell you that little Jessie here is Callie’s little sister?”  
I look around the table and no one would look me in the eyes. Well, this is simply great! I need to dance or I’m going to punch something. I can feel myself turning red, and my fists are clenching and unclenching. I look at Ash and say, “Why don’t you tell Finn the story of the valley so he will get off my back. Apparently, he doesn’t believe me and I’m going to find someone to salsa with.”  
I look over at Allie and ask, “Will you dance with me?”  
She just looks at the floor and says, “I don’t know how to salsa plus I kinda want to hear the story.”  
“Fine!”  
As I turn to walk away, I notice a couple of girls heading my way. I gave them the once over, they were pretty but not really my type but right now I didn’t really care. When they got to the table one of them looked at me and said, “Are you Lexa?”  
Everyone at the table stopped talking to listen to my conversation. I say, “Yeah, who wants to know?”  
They both just started giggling before the other one said, “Really, you’re Lexa? The Lexa that kicked ass in Dubai?”  
Ash started laughing and I just shook my head and say, “Yeah, that’s me.”  
The redhead say, “Do you mind taking a couple of selfies with us?”  
“That depends on whether either of you will dance with me. See my friends here apparently don’t like to salsa and I need a dance partner.”  
She just giggled and say, “I will gladly dance with you. Penelope go get us some drinks while I dance with Lexa.”  
The other girl, I guess Penelope, say, “But Marley I want to dance.”  
I laughed and say, “Don’t worry Penelope, you can have the next dance. O here will get you and Marley whatever you want from the bar.” I look at Ash and say, “Ash why don’t you tell Finn here whatever he wants to know about me since he doesn’t seem to like or believe anything I say, while I show these girls a good time.”


	11. Ash

The first few minutes after I arrived at the club were awkward. I had no idea that little Jessie, Callie’s younger sister was a part of Lexa’s little group. Apparently, no one had bothered to tell Lexa that Jess was Callie’s sister, which I could tell pissed her off. Then there was this guy Finn, who seemed to not like Lexa very much. He was asking me about the valley. I know she said she was meeting them for dinner to tell them her story, which I guess included the battle of the valley and everything else.  
Octavia seemed to think that Finn was jealous of Lexa, that’s why he didn’t believe her. I can understand, seeing how Clarke keeps looking at her. I was relieved when the two girls showed up because Lexa’s mood went from totally pissed too extremely flirty. It didn’t take long for them to head the dance floor, leaving me with a very confused group of people.  
Octavia looked over at me and asks, “What did those girls mean about Lexa kicking ass in Dubai?”  
Penelope speaks up and says, “How can you guys be her friends and not know about the fight in Dubai? Here watch this.”  
She proceeds to bring up the video on her phone for everyone to see. Of course, I’ve seen the video and was there for the real thing, but it is always amusing to watch it with new people and see their reaction. Lexa really did do a number on those guys.  
Finn says, “I’m sure that fight was staged to make her look good and not a real fight.”  
I laugh, “No it wasn’t. I was still recovering from my injuries and those guys wouldn’t leave me alone, so Lexa had to make them. She tried to talk them down but then that idiot took a swing at her and it escalated from there. I bet that one guys jaw is never the same.”   
Finn says, “Sure whatever!”   
I smile and say, “I can make a call to someone who was there if you like but if you don’t believe that story, I won’t waste my breath on the story of the valley because you want believe it either.”  
Finn says, “No, I want to hear your version so that I can compare it to what she has already told us.”  
“Fine.” So, I tell them the whole story of how we met, the valley, the mission where I was captured by Omar and even how Lexa rescued me singlehandedly. I then told them how it was her plan that successfully took down Ahmed while I was in a coma and how she was able to infiltrate the compound and capture Ahmed pretty much by herself and then let in Bellamy and the army to clean up the mess. I must have gone into more detail than Lexa because everyone looked amazed.  
Jess spoke up, “So, it’s true that she saved your life.”  
I reply, “Yes, she has saved my life at least three times, my mother’s once, Cree’s once and even your sister’s. She is truly an amazing person whether you like her or not. She will protect anyone around her.”  
Jess says, “What do you mean she saved Callie’s life?”  
I reply, “That’s a whole different story, but you can look it up on YouTube. The whole thing was caught on camera and posted, here have a look.” I pull up the video and hand it to Jess who lets everyone crowd around as they watch it. As they watch the video, Lexa and Marley walk back over to the table.  
Lexa looks much calmer now and asks, “What are you guys watching?”  
Clarke says, “Oh nothing much, just some crazy person taking on a bunch of guys in a restaurant by herself and then stepping in front of a man with a gun.”  
Lexa replies, “Oh, and heads to the bar.”  
I watch as she walks away, and Marley joins the group watching the video. Jayce says, “Wow, she really has some moves. O maybe she can teach you some new moves for…”  
Octavia interrupts her, “Yeah maybe she can teach me how to defend myself.” Then she gives Jayce a look that I can’t quite decipher. Lexa comes back to the table with some shots for me, Marley, Penelope, and herself. It wasn’t our usual tequila shot so I asked her what it was, and she said it was called apocalypse now and to just try it. It was actually surprisingly good.  
Finn looked at Lexa and said, “So what did you have to do to get Ashley to tell the story in a way that made you look even better than when you told it? Oh, and how much did you pay the actors in those videos to make you look that good?”  
Clarke elbows Finn in the ribs and says, “For God sakes let it go Finn!”  
Lexa started turning red and clinching her hands into fists then said, “I don’t know what your problem is with me Finn, but I would be more than happy to show you some of those same moves and let you be the judge if they are real or not. If you don’t like me that is fine, I don’t really care, but if you keep insulting me or my friends, we are going to have a problem. Understand?”  
About that time a group of girls came up to Zander and said, “Hey you are the one from the bar in Dubai, right? The one that beat up those UFC guys.”  
Lexa just laughs and says, “Yeah, let me guess you saw the video on YouTube?”  
The blonde says, “No, I was actually there. One of the assholes that picked a fight with you was my boyfriend now he is my ex-boyfriend. I couldn’t believe he would actually fight a girl. Do you mind taking a few pictures with my friends and I?”  
“Not at all. It would be my pleasure.” Lexa cut her eyes over at Finn and the look on his face was priceless. After she finished with the pictures, she headed onto the dance floor with the girls. I watched as she walked away with her arm around the girl’s shoulders. Once they were on the dance floor, the girl was all over Lexa. Was she nibbling on her ear? What the hell! I am about to walk out there when Becca spoke up.  
“Ashley, what were those girls talking about in Dubai. I thought you two were in Afghanistan?”  
“We were but we were given a weekend pass and we went to Dubai to see the UFC fight night. We met some female fighters and went out to the club with them and then some male fighters picked a fight with Lexa. I was still recovering from my injuries and the guys started bothering me and Lexa made them pay for it.”  
“Look guys, I’m going to head out.”  
Octavia says, “You should probably tell her bye before you leave though.”  
I look over to where Lexa is now surrounded by not only those girls but also that girl Allie. She looks so comfortable out there and…that girl is grinding hard in front of her and the other one has her hands…  
Octavia clears her throat then whispers in my ear, “Hey are you alright?”  
I shake my head to clear my thoughts, “Yeah, but I think I’m just going to go. It looks like she won’t even notice that I’m gone.”  
Octavia says, “I don’t know I think she may get upset if you don’t at least let her know you are leaving.”  
“Fine!” I head onto the dance floor to find her to tell her goodnight. When I find her, she looks to be having a great time dancing with the girls, who were draped all over her. I start to walk away but she sees me and motions me over. The song ends and the next song that comes on is Like a Star by Corinne Bailey Rae. I think to myself are you fucking kidding me, this is the first song we ever danced to together.  
Lexa looks at me, holds out her hand and says, “May I have this dance, my lady? For old times’ sake please.”  
She gives me those damn puppy dog eyes and I can’t say no, so I take her hand and we dance. She holds me close and it just feels right. Then she starts to sing, “Just like a star across my sky/Just like an angel of the page/You have appeared to my life/Feel like I’ll never be the same/Just like a song in my heart/Just like oil on my hands/Oh, I do love you.”  
I look into her eyes and what I see breaks my heart. Instead of the pure love that I am so used to seeing in her beautiful eyes, I see a mixture of love and hurt. It breaks my heart because I know I am the cause of her pain. I start to say I’m sorry, but she shakes her head and tells me to just dance. She twirls and dips me and by the time the song finishes we are the only ones on the dance floor. I kiss her cheek and say, “Goodnight, see you at home.” And I turn and walk away. As I leave Clarke is staring daggers at me and Jess is giving me a what the fuck was that look.


	12. Lexa

After the dance with Ash, I’m ready to go. I want to get shit faced but not here. I want to be somewhere safe and somewhere I won’t get into trouble. I find O and tell her what I want to do but she says that Marley is waiting for me over by the bar. She said she wants to talk to you. I say fine and head over to see what she wants. When I get over there, she has four shots in front of her and hands me a couple. I take them and say, “Thanks, Octavia said you wanted to talk to me. What’s up?”  
She turns pink and says, “Well, I was kinda wondering if you would like to go back to my place and hang out?”  
At this point I have a good buzz going. I look at her and I mean she is hot, and I do need a distraction but is this really what I want? I’m not sure so I say, “Well, I came with my friends…so I need to go check in with them. Give me a minute.”  
I walk over and pull O to the side and tell her what Marley wanted. She starts laughing and says, “You should go for it. I can meet you back at my house or I can wait for you here.”  
“I don’t know, maybe I should just go home.”  
“Seriously, she’s hot and you are single.”  
“Yeah, technically but what will Ash think?”  
“Who cares, you aren’t with her anymore remember. If this girl wants to hang out, I say go for it!”  
“Fine, but you are coming with me. I will go tell her and meet you at the door.” I go back over to Marley and tell her that I will go with her but that my friend Octavia has to come with us. She laughs and says that’s fine that her friend Penelope would like that. So, we head to the door to meet up with O and head out.  
Marley said she lives just around the corner so we can just walk which is good because I have a really good buzz right now and probably shouldn’t drive. When we get there, Marley asks if we would like another drink. I said sure and we spent the next few hours talking and I was drinking but O said she had a fight tomorrow so she couldn’t get wasted and would just hand and watch T.V. That seemed to upset Penelope some. I think she was thinking her, and O would hook up but O wasn’t having it the night before a fight. I downed a shot and thought what the hell, why shouldn’t I have some fun. So, I leaned in and kissed Marley and the next thing I knew I was naked and in the bedroom with both of Penelope and Marley.  
About an hour later, O and I were headed to my place in an Uber. On the ride to the house, she smirked and said, “Well, that turned out to go differently than I thought it would. So, how was it?”  
I laughed, “Yeah, it did. I wasn’t sure at about it at first but…well yeah it was fun and I needed to release some stress. Now tell me about these fights.”   
She laughs at me and says, “I think I would rather hear about your threesome. Was that your first one?”  
I just nod and start asking questions about the fights and how they worked. She explained it to me, and it sounded like these fights were a lot like the UFC fights except they were illegal because they weren’t sanctioned. They had the same rules and they had refs and apparently, they paid pretty well.  
By the time we made it home, I was just ready to go to bed. I asked O if she thought that maybe I could get into the fights tomorrow because I really needed a release and fighting is the perfect release for me.   
She laughed and said, “If fighting is a release what do you call what you just did with Marley and Penelope? I thought you said that was a release.”  
I smacked her and said, “Whatever, you know what I mean. Different kind of release!”   
She said she didn’t fight until late evening but there would be fights going on most of the day and if we got there early, she would talk to Micky and see if I could get a fight.  
I wake up early and go upstairs to grab a couple bottles of water and cook some breakfast. Ash and Amelia are already up and look to be cooking a huge breakfast. I say, “Good morning, can I help with anything? I was just going to scramble some eggs for us since that’s about all I know how to do.”  
Amelia smiles, “No dear, we’ve got it. I’m surprised you are up this early after last night. Why don’t you go get a shower and wake up Octavia, by that time breakfast should be ready.”  
I look over at Ash and say, “Are you sure? We don’t want to impose; I can just use the kitchen downstairs and scramble some eggs and make us some toast. I know you have plans today and I don’t want to get in the way.”  
Ash replies, “Lexa this is your home too, you are never in the way.”  
Amelia says, “Well, I might as well tell you now before either of you make any plans, I am planning a welcome home cookout here in a couple of weeks on Sunday.”  
Ash says, “Mom, I thought we talked about this and decided not to do it?”  
“No, honey. You decided you didn’t want me to do it but I’m doing it anyway.”  
I can’t help but laugh before asking, “Amelia, do you mind if I invite a few people?”  
She tells me to invite whoever I want it is as much my party as it is for Ash. I look to O and tell her to invite the crew and tell them they can bring a plus one. About that time the doorbell rings. Ash looks at Amelia and says, “Are you expecting someone, mom?”  
Amelia shakes her head no. I say I will get it since I’m finished with my food and head to the door. I open it to find Callie and a boy that I assume is Asher. I sigh and say, “Come on in. Ash is in the kitchen.”   
Callie nods and looks at Asher before saying, “Asher, honey, this is Lexa. Lexa this is my son Asher.”  
I smile and squat down to his level and hold out my hand, “Hello, Asher it is nice to meet you. What are you up to today?”  
He smiles and shakes my hand, “Mommy and mom are taking me to the zoo to see the aminals.”  
“That sounds fun. Want a piggyback ride to the kitchen?”  
He giggles and says, “Yes, please.”  
I turn around so that he can jump on. Once he is securely on my back I turn to walk to the kitchen. When I walk into the room carrying Asher, Ash’s face is priceless. She doesn’t know what to think.   
While Amelia talks to Asher, I hear Ash ask Callie what they are doing here. I thought the plan was I was going to pick you both up in about an hour. I hear Callie say, “I’m sorry but he couldn’t wait, and I didn’t know she would be here.” Ash sounded irritated when she says, “Why wouldn’t she be here, she lives here. You know that.”  
I interrupt their conversation, “Callie if me being here is a problem I will find a place of my own but just so you know, I sleep downstairs not with Ash.”  
Ash looks at me and then cuts her eyes at Callie before saying, “No, it’s not a problem that you are staying here, and it is none of her business where you sleep. Isn’t that right Callie.”  
Callie’s cheeks turn a little pink, “No Lexa it’s fine that you are staying here. I’m sorry I interrupted your breakfast. Ashley we will just go wait in the car.”  
I say, “That’s not necessary, Callie. We are going to have to get used to being around one another whether we like it or not besides, we were leaving anyway. You all have fun at the zoo.” I look over at Asher and say, “It was nice to meet you buddy. Have fun at the zoo and make sure you see the black panthers; they are the best.”  
Asher says, “Nice meet you to Xa. Maybe we can play sometime.” Octavia, and I head downstairs to get ready for the fights.


	13. Ash

I can’t believe that mom is insisting on throwing a welcome home BBQ. I mean I don’t really have many friends and the ones I do already know I’m home but knowing her she will invite everyone I ever went to school with. Oh well, it’s not like I can do anything about it, but I think I will surprise Lexa and see if I can get Cree to come and maybe even Raquel and Tecia if they aren’t busy.  
I’m jarred from my thoughts by the doorbell. Who would ring the doorbell this early in the morning? I look at mom and ask if she is expecting company, but she says no. Lexa gets up to answer the door and when she comes back, she has Asher on her back. I don’t know what to think so I just sit here looking stupid. I can’t believe how amazing she looks carry around my kid. What am I thinking?  
Lexa says, “Asher have fun at the zoo buddy and make sure that you see the black panthers, they are the best. It was nice to meet you buddy.”  
Asher smiles and says, “It was nice to meet you too Xa, maybe we can play sometime.”  
With that, Lexa, and Octavia head downstairs. I can’t help but think that Lexa looks to be great with kids and he seems to like her, maybe things can work out. I put up my dirty plate and say let’s go. I bend down and ask Asher if he wants another piggyback ride and he jumps on.  
We spend the day walking around the zoo like an actual family. It feels nice to be doing something normal for a change and being able to see Asher having a good time. I’m actually having a great time with Callie just getting to know her and hearing stories of Asher, but at the same time I feel a little guilty for have a good time with someone other than Lexa.  
Before I know it, Asher is saying that he is hungry. We decide to go to a little restaurant at the zoo and eat before we head over to the playground to let him play for a bit. As he plays on the playground, Callie says, “Ashley, I really am sorry about this morning, but he was driving me insane. From now on though, I will call or text you before coming over to make sure Lexa isn’t there.”  
I say, “It’s fine Callie but Lexa is right. We are all going to have to learn to at least be civil around one another because no matter what happens, I will always be Asher’s mommy, but at the same time Lexa will always be a part of my life in one way or another. We have been through so much together that we have a bond even if it isn’t romantic, she will always be there for me.”  
“Ashley, I want to be there for you too. I want you to be able to trust me and accept that what happened back then wasn’t your fault, but it also wasn’t entirely mine either. What Robby did hurt me too. I understand that you and Lexa went through something together that I will never understand, and I am glad that she can be there for you, but I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I want us to be a family together.”  
“Callie, I don’t know what to say. I know now it wasn’t your fault entirely that didn’t show up but there is no way you can understand what it did to me. I mean for God’s sake I was ready to kill myself because of it. Even after I got my shit together, the only reason I was so good at my job was because I still felt that I didn’t have anything to live for, so it didn’t matter what happened to me over there. Do you understand?”  
“Ashley, I do understand but I need you to understand that I am trying to make things right. I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust and your love again.”  
“Callie, I never stopped loving you and I never will. You were my first love and will always have a piece of my heart, but I just don’t know if I can ever be IN love with you again. Right now, I just want to focus on getting used to being home and getting to know Asher better. I want to focus on what makes me happy and just see what happens. I hope you can understand.”  
“I do understand but I can’t help wanting what I want either. I will try and be respectful of what you want as long as you promise to keep your heart open to me so that I can try to win you back.”  
“Fine, but I am not promising anything to anyone right now except Asher. I promise to be there for him and whatever he needs.”  
Asher walks up and says, “Mommy, I need to go see panthers like Xa said and then want ice cream.”  
Callie and I laugh as I scoop him up and we head over to the panthers. I think that Lexa has a new nickname and it’s cute. We walk over to the panthers and Asher watches them for a few minutes before asking me, “Mommy, why does Xa think the panthers are better than the lions or bears?”  
I say, “Well buddy, I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s because the panthers a big and strong, but they are also sneaky and agile.”  
“But lions and bears are big and strong too.”  
I laugh, “Yes, but the panthers are also smart and stealth-like and can bring down prey bigger than you would think. I think Lexa likes them because they remind her of herself. She may be small, but she is smart, stealthy, and strong.”  
Callie says, “How about we go get that ice cream?”  
As we get ready to leave the zoo, my phone rings and the caller ID says it is Julian. I look at Callie and say, “I have to take this, you all go ahead to the car and I will catch up.”  
I pick up the call, “Hello, Julian. What’s wrong?”  
He replies, “Hello, Commander Fletcher. Why do you assume something is wrong?”  
“Why else would you be calling? It’s not like you to just call and say hello. So, what is it?”  
“Fletch, you told me to keep you in the loop on that matter, so I was calling to tell you that we have found some more information. I would really prefer that we talk in person about this. Can you fly to DC?”  
“Julian, I just got home, and I am trying to get things figured out. Can’t you just send it to me encrypted or something?”  
“No, this needs to be kept extremely quiet.”  
“Fine then you come here. Mom is having a welcome home BBQ in a few weeks, so it won’t look suspicious if you come since you are my boss.”  
“Okay, I will see you then Commander Fletcher.”  
I hang up and head to the car. I wonder what the hell is so important that it requires a face-to-face meet. When I get to the car Callie asks if everything is okay and I just tell her that it was my boss confirming that he was coming to the BBQ.


	14. Lexa

We pulled into a garage somewhere in Chinatown. I looked at Octavia and she said that we had to go down to the basement of the garage where there was a storm drain that led to an old abandon nuclear bunker. The bunker had been sealed off in the early 2000’s but Micky and his guys used a jackhammer to get though and made a secret entrance. She said according to Micky, there are places like this all over the US that hold underground fights.  
I followed her down the tunnel and eventually we come to a tunnel full of graffitied walls. On one of the walls there is a painted elaborate door, at least I thought it was painted, but it was an actual door. I think to myself that is an awesome way to hide an entrance. I mean if you didn’t know to look for it, it would just look like part of the graffiti.  
Octavia opens the door, and we go in. Right inside the door is a ticket booth like you see selling tickets at the fair, with a guy sitting in it. He looked at Octavia and said, “O you are super early for your fight. It’s not until eight tonight.”  
She replies, “I know Ralph. This is my friend Lexa, and she is looking to start fighting. Is Micky here?”  
Ralph says, “Yeah, he’s in his office. I’ll radio him and let him know you are on the way back. Good luck tonight O”  
Octavia tells him thank you and we head deeper into the bunker. Even though it is early, there are still a lot of people around. We pass by a concession stand selling food and drinks, even beer. As we walk further, we pass huge rooms with cages set up and surrounded by seating for spectators. There were already a couple of fights going on now. I stopped at the doorway of one room and watched for a few minutes, the guys fighting didn’t seem to have a particular style. They were just trying to knock each other out. O grabs my arm and said we needed to keep going. I asked if all the fights looked like that one and she said for the most part.  
I couldn’t help thinking that I would have to be careful not to hurt anyone since apparently these fighters don’t have any real training that I could see. Any fight I had against someone like that has the potential for someone to get hurt or even killed. I will have to be extremely careful.  
We finally make it through to Micky’s office and Dom knocks on the door. When we enter, Micky immediately looks me over like he is trying to size me up. I laugh and say, “I’m 5’ 8” and around 140 pounds. If that is what you are trying to figure out.”  
He laughs and says, “So O, Ralph says that your friend here wants to start fighting. Is she any good?”  
I just look at him and say, “My name is Lexa, and I can hold my own with anyone you put me up against. If you are into betting on the fights, I suggest that you don’t bet against me because you will lose every time.”  
Octavia smacks me on the arm and says, “What the hell Lexa?” I look at her and shrug my shoulders and smile.  
Micky begins to die laughing, “O, she seems very sure of herself. Are you willing to vouch for her? I have an invitation only tournament starting in about half an hour and I just had someone drop out so, I have a spot to fill. I would be willing to let Lexa in if you will be her sponsor and pay the entrance fee.”  
I say, “First, what is the entrance fee and second what is the payout? Third, will I be fighting guys or girls or both?”  
He sighs, “For a newbie, you sure have a lot of question. The entrance fee for the tournament is five thousand. Each fight you win pays three thousand, if you win the tournament there is a ten-thousand-dollar bonus and you get to become a regular. As far as the competition goes it is both guys and girls. I separate you into weight classes and you are expected to fight in your weight class and be prepared to fight either three weight classes lower or higher. Since you say you are 140 pounds, that would make you a featherweight so you would be fighting opponents up to 185 pounds.”  
I reply, “What do you mean by Octavia having to sponsor me?”  
“It just means that she takes responsibility of you in case of an emergency and she covers any fees that you can’t.”  
“That is a pretty big weight difference when going against guys that are naturally stronger.” I speak.  
Micky laughs and says, “You sound scared. I thought you said not to bet against you. The way you are talking now you don’t sound so confident.”  
“Oh, I’m not worried about me. I am worried about the other girls/guys, not me.”  
I look to O, “Will you sponsor me? I can get you the cash. I just need to go to an ATM.”  
She looks at Micky and says, “I will sponsor her, and we will pay you at the end of the tournament out of her winnings. Does that work for you?”  
“Sure, sure, I trust you O. Welcome to the club Lexa and good luck.”  
I smile, “Thanks, just remember don’t bet against me. How many fighters are there in the tournament?”  
“There are thirty-two fighters. Each fight is three, five-minute rounds and there will be twenty minutes in between each fight. There are three ways to win, knock out, tap out or judges score card. So, are you in?”  
“Yep, when do I fight, and can I place bets on myself?”  
“I will give you an hour to get ready. O show her to the locker rooms. Sure, you can bet on yourself to win you just can’t bet on yourself to lose. You understand, right?”  
“Sure, I could bet to lose and then throw the fight. Not that I would ever do that.”  
Once we were outside Micky’s office, I turned to Octavia and said, “So, what do you know about the fighters I will be facing? I need to run to the jeep and get my clothes and do I need gloves? Also is there an ATM around?”  
O started laughing and said, “There is an ATM by the ticket booth and yes you need gloves but there is a shop for the fighters near in the locker room. As for the fighters, I don’t know much about them. Micky has one of these tournaments every so often to find new fighters. Usually, it is just anyone who can pay the entry fee, although sometimes there are some decent fighters.”  
“So, what does it mean when he said if I win the tournament, I will become a regular?”  
“Well, basically it means you don’t have to pay to fight. I mean if Micky gets you a match, he will text you with a time, place, and payout. He does expect a ‘booking fee’ as he calls it which is usually ten percent of your winnings from the fights you win. Most of the fights are held here and, on the weekends, but occasionally there may be a different location or day during the week.”  
“Seems pretty straight forward, so who do you fight tonight?”  
“Whoever wins the tournament held for my weight class which is super middle weight. Let’s go to the car and get your gear. You need to warm up before you fight and you can stop by the ATM on the way back in and place your bet because I know that is what you are thinking, right?”  
“Well yeah. In my mind I’m a sure thing so why not earn a little extra?”


	15. Lexa

By the time we returned from getting my stuff, Micky had the fight bracket posted. Not that looking at the names helped me in the least because I didn’t know anyone, but I decided to go see what the betting odds were and make a few bets. I ask Octavia to show me to the betting booth. She introduced me to Sloan the odds maker. Sloan looked to be a few years older than me, but she was beautiful. She was nicely built and had shoulder length blonde hair and crystal blue eyes and an amazing smile.  
I was jarred from my thoughts by laughter. O says, “Lexa, Sloan ask you a question.”  
“Oh, sorry. What was the question?”  
Sloan smiles and repeats, “Would you like to make a bet on some of the fights?”  
“Yes, but first I would like to know the odds on the tournament I’m fighting in. What are the odds for me to win the entire tournament?”  
Sloan says, “Well, we usually go fight by fight on the odds but giving what I know about most of the contestants, except you, I would say +4200 for you to win the entire tournament.”  
“Really? What is the maximum I can bet?”  
Sloan looks at O and she just shrugs her shoulders. “Look, I just met you and I don’t doubt that you think you are that good, but I would hate to have to take all your money on a stupid bet like that. I mean don’t get me wrong, you are hot and amazingly built from what I can see, but that is a crazy bet.”  
I can feel myself turning red and O is laughing, I simply say, “Thanks for the complement but what is the max I can place on myself?”  
“We usually cap it at $50,000 a fight but since this is for the whole tournament which will possibly be five fights for you, let’s say $250,000. I will just need to double check with Micky before I let you place the bet.”  
Sloan picks up the phone to call Micky and O pulls me to the side and says, “What the hell are you doing?”  
I just laugh, “I figure once they see me fight once the odds will never be in my favor again to win big, so if I go ahead and make what they think is a crazy bet up front, I stand to make a lot of money. Once I make the bet, they have to honor it even after they see me fight. I suggest that you get in on this bet also if you want to make some money, that is if you have any to bet. If not, I can front you some if you want.”  
Octavia says, “I understand the concept, I’m not stupid. My question is where are you going to get that kind of money?”  
“From my bank account. One thing about the middle east and fighting terrorist, there is always money lying around for the taking if you are good enough to take it. Let’s just say that Omar had a lot of cash lying around when I rescued Ash and I took it. How did you think I was paying for all the drinks and food for everyone?”  
She says, “Honestly, I thought Ash was paying.”  
“Why would you think that?”  
“I don’t know, maybe she feels guilty and gives you whatever you want!”  
“Seriously Octavia, she may but I would never just expect her to pay for everything. I will make my own money and get my own place and never have to depend on anyone for anything.”  
“Jeeze, calm down, I didn’t mean to get you upset.”  
Just then Sloan said, “Micky said he would take the bet, but he would need for you to provide proof that you can get the money. He said to stop by his office on your way to get dressed.”  
I thank Sloan and we head back to Mickey’s office once again. When we get there, I walk in and say, “What do you need for proof that I can cover the bet?”  
He laughs and says, “So you are serious about this? In that case, I guess if you can show me a bank account in your name with at least that amount in it, I will allow the bet.”  
“Fine, give me a second to pull up my account.” I pull out my phone and enter in the information required to show him three accounts with a total of $550,000. “Is this good enough?” I turn my phone towards him so that he can see the account balances.  
He replies, “Well damn, where does someone your age get that kind of money? It doesn’t matter, I will take the bet.”  
“So, if I bet $250,000 at +4200 that would mean that when I win the payout will be $10,750,000, correct?”  
He just laughs and says, “You sure are confidant, but yes your math is correct.”  
I reach out to shake his hand and say, “Alright then, it’s time to make some money. If I were you Micky, I would place a few bets on me.” I look at O and say, “Are you going to place a bet?”  
She leans over and whispers, “I only have about three grand and I’m not sure I can risk it.”  
I laugh and say, “Trust me it isn’t a risk, it is a sure thing, but I will front you. Micky put another $50,000 on me to win it all for Octavia. You’ve seen the account, so you know I have it.”  
She cuts her eyes at me, but Micky just shakes his head yes and says, “Ok, get out of here before I change my mind. I will let Sloan know.”  
Octavia grabs me and drags me to the locker room to change. While I am changing, she is talking nonstop about how much money I just bet and how if I somehow do win; we will be set for life and never have to work. I can’t help but laugh at her. I walk out of the changing room in the pair of Navy basketball shorts Ash gave me that first night and a Nike sports bra.   
“Hey, is this okay to wear to fight in?”  
O turns around and her jaw drops. I say, “What’s wrong? Should I wear something else?”  
She begins to stutter, but finally finds her words, “Sorry…I…no that is fine to wear. I mean I knew you were built but damn, I didn’t expect…” She just waves her hands up and down at my body and says, “I didn’t expect this. Now I see why you made the bet. You look amazing no wonder every girl around hits on you and those scars just add mystery to an amazing body…”  
I interrupt her rant, “Yo! Octavia, please stop! You are making me a little uncomfortable here.”  
“Damn Lexa, I’m sorry. It’s just…I mean…if you weren’t like my sister, I would be jumping your bones right now.”  
We both just start laughing uncontrollably, then she says, “Well let’s go get you some gloves and then I have a few phone calls to make before your fight.”  
“Wait, what phone calls?”  
She laughs and says, “Don’t worry, I’m just calling some of the guys to give them a chance to make some money that’s all. I won’t call Jess or Angie in case they would feel the need to tell Callie.”  
Before I can answer, she runs off and I hear over the intercom that all tournament participants need to report to the staging area for weigh in. I follow the crowd and line up with about eighty other fighters, apparently there are three tournaments going on today. I feel ridiculous standing up here on the stage with everyone gawking at me. I mean I understand the need to weigh in but not the need to do it in front of all the spectators. I must look as uncomfortable as I feel because the guy next to me says, “Hey, don’t sweat it. They are just here trying to get a look at everyone so that they can decide who they are going to bet on.”  
I look over at him and say, “Ah, now it makes sense why they are all here. Thanks, I’m Lexa by the way.”  
He smiles and says, “Nice to meet you. I’m Russell Cooper but most people call me Coop or Russ. Are you new around here?”  
I give him the once over and notice that he is built well with toned arms defined abs and short stocky legs. He has a tattoo covering his left arm of what looks to be army helicopters and soldiers. He also has piercings in his left eyebrow, both ears and nasal septum. He looks like he could be ex-military. I reply, “Yeah, I haven’t been in town long. Did you serve?” I point to his tattoo.  
He replies, “Yeah, just got out. How about you?” He points to my tattoo.  
“Sort of, long story.”  
He gives me a funny look and then notices the tattoo around the scar. He points to it and says, “Wait, does that say the valley, 08-22-20? Afghanistan?”  
“Yeah, why?”  
He says, “Holy shit! You are THAT Lexa?”  
I look around and see people are starting to notice us and I tell him to quiet down. “I guess…I mean I was at the valley in Afghanistan on that date, but before you say anything else try and keep it quiet. I don’t want everyone to know that will ruin my betting odds.”  
He laughs, “Damn, you are like a legend. I think everyone who has served over there recently knows who you and Fletch are. I sure hope I don’t have to fight you tonight, but I will go straight over and place a bet on you to win your first fight and probably every fight that you have. Look it is really nice to meet you and I would love to hang out sometime and talk.”  
He seems like a fun-loving nice guy. I say, “Sure just find me later and we will exchange numbers.”  
As Coop weighs in, I look over the crowd to pass the time and I can’t believe who I see. It is the stuck-up pro golfer Alice Wood. I’m surprised that she would even come out to something like this. She must notice me at about the same time because she smirks and gives me the once over like I’m a piece of meat. I don’t have too long to think about it because it’s my turn. I weigh-in at 142.  
As I make my way off the stage, O and the entire crew minus Jess and Angie come up to me. I try to cover up as best as I can, because it is kind of embarrassing standing around half naked when everyone else has cloths on. On top of that, there are a few new people in the group, and I feel like everyone is staring at me. I should have brought out a t-shirt with me to wear in between fights.  
Octavia introduces me to Rose and Lucas. I wave a hello and then look at O and say, “What the hell Octavia? I thought you said a few people not everyone you know.” That’s when I realize Clarke and Finn are here. She is trying her best not to stare at my half naked body and failing miserably and I think Finn notices because he is turning red. I can feel my cheeks starting to burn and I’m about to make a run for it when I hear my name being called to report to ring one.  
Octavia grabs me and says, “Come on I will show you where to go. The rest of you guys should go place your bets if you want to make some money.”  
We rush over and get there just in time to hear them introduce me. The announcer says, ‘For the first fight of the night we have a last-minute entry. This is her first fight with us, she stands in at five foot eight inches and one hundred and forty-two pounds, fighting out of the red corner is Lexa Trikru!’  
I look at O and then walk up the steps and enter the ring. Surprisingly, the crowd goes wild. I guess they are just ready to see a fight because only a few people here know me, and they are all now standing ring side. I can’t help but smile. My thoughts are interrupted by the announcer, ‘In the blue corner, we have a return fighter from Mexico, standing five foot eight inches tall and weighing-in at one hundred and fifty-three pounds, we have Keya Bagdi.’ Again, the crowd goes wild. ‘Fighters please report to the center of the ring for final instructions.’  
I walk to the center of the ring where I get my first look at my opponent. He is pale with thick eyebrows and short straight copper hair. He has powerful arms and a well-defined muscular torso covered in a tattoo of the grim reaper. I get kind of an unsettling feeling from him. I look him in his blue triangular eyes as the ref says, ‘Okay fighters the rules are simple, there is only one really. No low blows and listen to what I tell you. There are three ways to win, knock out, submission or judges score card. Any questions?” We both shake our heads no. He continues, ‘Okay then, touch gloves and report to your corners and wait for the bell.’  
As we touch gloves, Keya says, “You are going down, dyke!” I just look at him and smirk thinking we will see about that, jackass! When I get back to the corner, Octavia says, “Did he really just say that?”  
“Yep, I think I will end him quick just for that comment.” The bell rings and I head to the center of the ring. He charges at me and attempts a flying knee, so predictable. I step to my right, plant my feet, and throw a hard-right hook that catches him right in the temple as he flies by. He lands face first on the mat, out cold. I look at the ref and head to my corner. The crowd is stunned and silent before erupting into applause. O is in the cage and has me in a bear hug before I know it.  
Once they get the jackass awake, the ref calls us to the center of the ring and officially raises my hand as the winner. I try to be a good sport and ask, are you okay? He just turned and said, “You got in a lucky shot, that’s all.” I just laugh and walk out of the cage, where I’m met by all of my friends. Everyone is screaming and yelling their congratulations, it feels amazing.  
When I finally break free from everyone, I head to the locker room to get a t-shirt and put it on. As I come out of the locker room, I run into someone and knock them down. I immediately reach out to help them up and apologize when I see that it is nonother than the golfer, Alice Wood. I smile and say, “I really am beginning to think that you are stalking me!”  
She says, “Nope, but we do seem to keep running into each other, literally. This time though I was actually looking for you.”  
I smirk, “Really? What can I do for you, ma’am?”  
“Well, I just wanted to congratulate you on your win.”  
I laugh, “I’m sorry but I really need to get back out there and see who I fight next. Would you like to get a smoothie or something after my next fight?”  
“We will see. Good luck Stryker!” She says as she walks away.  
I shake my head and think what does she mean by Stryker? Micky brings me out of my thoughts by saying, “You trying to show off or something? Usually, the spectators like to actually see a fight, not a two second knockout.”  
I smirk at him and say, “Well they might want to get used to it from me because I plan on finishing all my fights in the first round, that way I don’t get hurt. Besides, I didn’t like what he said to me before the fight. He should learn some manners.”  
He laughs, “Kid you are a riot! There is no way that you will end all your fights tonight in the first round. Everyone will be gunning for you now.”  
“Would you like to place a side bet on that? I mean surely by now you know I’m going to win the tournament so I’m good for a couple of million.”  
“Seriously kid, you are crazy!”  
“Maybe, but I prefer the term confident as opposed to crazy.” I see O walking toward us and smile at her.  
She comes up and says, “What are you guys talking about?”  
Micky says, “O, you need to talk some sense into you girl here. She says that she is going to finish all her fights in the first round and even asked if I wanted to place a side bet on it.”  
She looks at me and says, “Lexa, what the hell are you thinking? Have you even seen all of your competition? Some of the guys are pretty big.”  
I shrug, “Doesn’t matter, just means they will fall harder and faster!”  
Micky says, “How about this kid because I like your confidence, I have a yacht that I never use that’s worth at least $200 million. I will bet it against your projected winnings, that you don’t finish every fight in the first round. If for some reason you lose the tournament, you will fight for me for free until you pay off your debt.”  
Octavia says, “No, Lexa. That’s a crazy bet. Do you know how long it will take you to pay that off if you lose? It’s not worth it!”  
I look at her and then to Micky, “So, if I win all my tournament fights in the first round, I get your yacht free and clear plus my winnings from the tournament and the bets I place. On the other hand, if I fail to finish all the fights in the first round, but still win the tournament, I walk away with nothing. If by some miracle, I lose the tournament, I fight for you until my debt is paid. Are these the correct parameters of the bet?”  
“Yep, that sums it up, kid. So, what do you say?”  
I hold out my hand for him to shake and say, “I’m in, but remember that I warned you about betting against me. I think you and I are going to make a lot of money together after I take your yacht, that is.”  
Octavia says, “Lexa, you have lost your mind and Ashley is going to kill me and you if you lose.”  
I cut my eyes at her, “I won’t lose and if Ash finds out about this before I tell her, I will tell Blake about what you have been up to while he has been away.”  
Micky laughs and looks at me before he says, “Oh, I am going to make money on you tonight. I’m going to go tell Sloan about how you say you are going to finish the fights in the first round and let her give odds on that, that is bound to bring in money. I like your confidence kid. I think we are going to work well together even if you do take my yacht.”  
O grabs my arm and pulls me toward the ring. “Lexa, I don’t know what the hell you are thinking, this isn’t some random street fight. Some of these people actually have some fighting experience. You can’t just go around making crazy bets like that, now everyone will be out to hurt you even more.”  
“Just chill out Octavia, I know what I’m doing. I have plenty of experience fighting, probably more than all of these guys put together except in the past when I fought there was a real possibility that I may be killed. These fights are just for fun. Now come on, I want to watch some of the fights before my next one and then maybe go see Sloan again.”  
We wandered over to our group of friends just before the next fight started. I found a seat ringside while the rest of them talked. That guy Coop that I was talking to during weigh ins was fighting a girl and he was losing bad. I mean he wasn’t a bad fighter, but she looks to have had some MMA training where he just has his military training.  
I get up and walk over to the group, but I’m cut off by Clarke. “Hey, Clarke. I didn’t realize you were here.”  
She snips, “Yeah, well I am. What the hell do you think you are doing?”  
“What are you talking about? I’m just having a little fun and releasing some pent-up frustrations in the process.”  
She starts to yell, “You know damn well that’s not what I’m talking about! Are you crazy making those stupid bets? You are going to get yourself hurt or killed. I have a good mind to call my mom or Ashley, maybe they can talk some sense into you.”  
I’m pissed now and raise my voice, “It is too late. The bets are made, I have to fight now. Besides, what does it matter to you. You clearly don’t give a damn about me, why do you even care. As far as your mom goes, I’m sure she wouldn’t want you hanging out here either. So, go ahead and call her and Ash well she is out with Callie and Asher today so she probably wouldn’t even answer her phone.” By now, the entire group and some of the spectators are looking at us, but I really don’t care. I’m tired of the way she thinks she can talk to me and try and control me when she clearly doesn’t like me. Whatever, I need to walk away.  
I storm off toward Sloan’s booth to see what Micky has told her. As I walk away, I hear Finn yelling at Clarke, but I don’t care. Sloan sees me coming and smiles, finally someone who is happy to see me. “Hey Sloan!”  
“Hey Lexa. I heard you won your fight pretty easily.”  
“Yeah, nothing to it. Has Micky stopped by to talk to you yet?”  
She says, “Yes, about that. Do you really think that you can end the fights in one round?”  
“Yes, and please don’t tell me I’m crazy or stupid. I have heard it all already from my friends. If I let you in on a secret, can you not let it affect the odds of my fights?”  
She smiles and says, “I have already posted the odds so I can’t change them.”  
“Great! First what are the odds for me to win the next fight in the first round?”  
“Lexa, should you…never mind. Micky said for the next fight your odds are -180 to win and +2000 to finish it in the first round.”  
“Thanks Sloan, for not lecturing me. I have to make my money now before everyone realizes just how good I am, and the odds turn to crap. Can you put me down for $50,000 to win in the first round? I’m not trying to sound stuck up or anything it is just…here let me show you. Hand me your phone so I can bring up a website.” She does and I bring up my YouTube channel and put in the passcode required to access it. I don’t want just anyone to be able to watch what I put on there, so it is passcode protected. “Okay, here. Watch these but don’t let anyone else see them yet, please. Once you see these you will understand what I mean.”  
Before she has a chance to watch them, I see Octavia waving me over to her. I’m still irritated at everyone and would rather just be alone, but I know she and she won’t let me. I walk over and say, “What?”  
“Look Lexa, I’m sorry. I know that you can handle yourself and I should trust that you know what you are doing, but I just don’t want to see you get hurt that’s all.”  
“I appreciate that, but you need to trust me and just watch my back, please. I’m used to Ash having my six and now that she isn’t here, I would feel better if you would do it for me.”  
“Of course, I will always watch your back. Although, I don’t have the skills Ashley does, I will do what I can. Now come on, it’s time for your next fight.”  
As I’m talking to O, I glance over her shoulder and see Finn is still arguing with Clarke. I take a minute to watch. I can tell that Finn is really upset and is constantly opening and closing his fist which is a clear indication that he could turn violent at any time. Clarke turns to walk away but he grabs her arm and spins her back around. I can tell things are about to escalated so I take a couple of steps toward them.  
O says, “Hey, wrong way. We need to get to the ring for your next fight.”   
“Do you know anything about who I’m fighting?” I ask as I keep walking toward Clarke.  
“Just that it is a guy who is built like a boxer, tall and lanky. He looks a little scruffy but other than that, I don’t have a clue.”  
“Alright well if you want to tell the group to place bets, the odds are great if they bet on me finishing the fight in the first round. I mean even though they are giving me shit, they may want to make some money.”  
O just laughs and walks over to them while I take off my shirt and put my gloves on. I keep my eyes on Clarke and Finn. I listen to the announcer once again call my name and then my opponents. I was about to walk into the ring when I see Finn raise his hand like he is going to hit her, and I lose it. I run over and get in between them right as he swings, smacking me across the face. I look at Finn and he looks startled, but he quickly covers it up and says, “What do you want? This is none of your business.”  
“It became my business when you decided it was okay to hit a woman. Now why don’t you get the hell out of here before I decide to hit you back.”  
I hear the announcer say my name for the second time. Octavia walked up and says, “Lexa you need to get into the ring, now!”  
“Not until this asshole leaves!”  
Finn says, “I was leaving anyway.” Then he walks away. I reach up and wipe my nose and realize it is bleeding but whatever. I head to the ring.  
The ref calls us to the center to touch gloves and as I turn to walk away my opponent says, “You’ve got a pair, I’ll give you that, but I’m not going to make it easy on you. Besides, Micky is offering a bonus to anyone that lasts past the first round against you.”  
I just touch his gloves and walk away. When the bell rings, I head to the middle of the cage. This time my opponent, Emil, doesn’t just charge at me. He comes out in a boxer’s stance and starts throwing a few jabs to try and find his range, but I dodge them easily. I throw a few jabs of my own, which he dodges. I then throw a low leg kick and as he steps back and throws a high kick. I dodge by ducking down and preforming a Martelo do Chão, which is a capoeira move that is kind of like a half cartwheel where I kick him in the top of the head on the way down. The kick catches him exactly right and knocks him out.  
I simply turn and walk to my corner and await the ref’s signal. Once he calls me out and raises my hand, I look to Emil and say, “Are you alright?”  
He smiled and replies, “Yes, that was an amazing move. I have never seen anything like it. Anyway, good luck in the rest of the tournament. I know I will be placing my bet on you.”  
I smile and shake his hand before he walks out of the cage. As I walk to the steps leading out of the cage I hear, “Hey Stryker, we still on for that drink.”  
I know without even looking who it is by the fact that she called me Stryker. I turned and smiled, but before I could answer I was wrapped in a bear hug. I start to laugh and say put me down. O and I walk out of the cage and head over to the group. Most of them congratulate me, Clarke gives me a look that I can’t decipher. Whatever, I start looking around for Allie.  
Octavia says, “Who are you looking for?”  
“Huh, what?” Then I hear, “Stryker are you avoiding me now?”  
O looks at me and says, “Who is Stryker and why is that stuck-up golfer girl headed this way?”  
I laugh and say, “That stuck-up golfer girl’s name is Allie, and she calls me Stryker for some reason. I am about to find out why, so stick around if you want to know.”  
Before she can say anything else, Allie walks up. I say, “Hey Allie, why do you call me Stryker?”  
She laughs and says, “I thought it would be obvious since you served in the military, but a Stryker is an armored troop carrier with the capability to strike with its various weapons. It has great defense and better offense, just like you in the ring.”  
I feel my cheeks turn red and I stare at the floor while saying, “Thanks, but in my defense, I didn’t really serve in the military. I just helped them out a little. How did you know that though?”  
She smirked and said, “You know you are cute when you are embarrassed and not coming off as an arrogant ass. Oh, and I have my ways.”  
I hear O clear her throat and when I look at her, she is trying hard not to laugh. She looks at Allie and says, “Hey, I’m Octavia, the arrogant ass’s best friend.” She reaches out to shake her hand.  
Allie laughs and shakes her hand while saying, “I know who you are, I’ve seen you around. Stryker about that drink…”  
I say, “Yeah, sure let’s head over to the snack bar. I’m starving. O, are you coming?”  
O just shakes her head no and heads back over to the group, but not before saying, “Remember, your next fight is in twenty minutes so don’t eat too much.”  
“Yes, mom.” Allie and I head over to the snack bar and I order me two protein smoothies and some fries. I hate to admit it, but O is right, I shouldn’t eat too much. I ask Allie what she wants, and she orders, wait for it, a Caesar salad with grilled chicken and a smoothie. I can’t help but laugh.  
She says, “What are you laughing at?”  
“Well…um…who comes to a fight and orders a salad?”  
“You know what, you were a lot cockier when you were trying to pick me up at the bar.”  
“I wasn’t trying to pick you up; I was saving you from the butch and her friend. Plus, I had been drinking. What made you decide to give me a chance today when you kind of blew me off the other night? Wait, I know, it was seeing my amazing body. It makes all the girls go crazy.”  
“Now see, that right there is what I’m talking about. You sound like an arrogant ass again. No, it has nothing to do with seeing your body, although it didn’t hurt. I don’t know, there is just something about you that makes me want to get to know you. Is that so bad?”  
I smile, “No, in fact, I like the sound of that. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time today with the fights and all. How about I take you to dinner sometime next week? You name the time, day and place.”  
She reached her hand out and said, “Give me your phone and I will text myself, so you have my number and I have yours.”  
I hand it to her, and she puts her number in and says she will text me on Sunday to set something up. I stand up to leave and she grabs my wrist. I turn to look at her and she says, “Please be careful, Stryker.” I smile and take her hand and bring it to my lips and place a gentle kiss on her knuckles and say, “I will, princess don’t you worry about me.” I grab my trash and leave.  
I head over to see Sloan really quick. I only have about five minutes until I fight again, but I want to check the odds on this fight. When I get there, Sloan smiles and says, “I hear you had another great fight.”  
“I guess, it was another short one.”  
She says, “I watched your videos. I see now why you are making all of these bets. You are right once everyone catches on it will be harder to get these good odds. I have to admit, I thought you were just being reckless until I saw your fight clips. You really are an amazing fighter. I guess you are here for your payout. Where do you want me to wire your $1,050,000?”  
“Before, I take it. What are the odds on the next fight?”  
“Lexa, Micky is going to catch on if I keep letting you place these large bets. He has already told the fighters he will pay a bonus if they can last until the second round with you and if they beat you an even bigger bonus. Look, I’ll let you let it ride this once, okay? The odds are -100 for you to win and +3500 for a first-round finish.”  
“Thanks Sloan, I don’t want to get you into trouble, so this is the last one. Just let it ride on me to have a first-round finish.” She nods and I hurry off to the cage, where O is pacing back and forth waiting.  
She says, “Where the hell have you been? You need to get to the ring ASAP.”  
I smile, “Ok, let’s go.” I get to the ring just in time to hear them call my name. I quickly take off my shirt and slip on my gloves as I walk to the center of the ring to touch gloves. I look at my opponent and see a guy with dark hair with the tips dyed pink. I can’t help but smirk, until I realize he is over six-foot-tall and probably outweighs me by twenty pounds.  
He must see my surprise because he smiles and says, “Don’t let the hair fool you, I’m getting that bonus money.”  
I just touch his gloves and wait for the bell to ring. He comes charging out like a bull and lowers his head like he is going for my waist, I jump and land a flying knee but not solidly. He is still able to grab my waist and lift me up and slams me to the mat, in a body slam. I’m not going to lie; it hurt and knocked the breath out of me. While I was stunned, he was able to land and elbow to my right eye. That’s all it took to bring me back, I quickly maneuvered and was able to wrap my right arm around the back of his neck, putting him in a guillotine choke. He didn’t tap but tried to escape which only allowed me to get the coke in deeper. He punched me in the ribs a couple of times before he was out cold, and the ref told me to let go. The ref raises my hand and says, ‘Your winner by guillotine choke, Lexa Trikru.’  
I got up and headed to my corner where O said, “Damn, you have a nice goose egg above your right eye from that elbow.”  
I reply, “Thanks for pointing that out, I didn’t notice.”  
She just laughed as I walked out of the cage. To my surprise, I was met by Clarke who immediately grabbed my chin so that she could look at my eye. I said, “Um…excuse me. What are you doing?”  
She snaps, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to examine you.”  
“Um…are you a doctor or something?”  
She says, “Seriously? Yes, I’m a resident. Now come to the locker room so that I can take a better look at you.”  
“Look, I appreciate it but I’m fine and I have another fight in like twenty minutes.”  
“I will be the judge of that, and it will only take like five minutes, if you stop arguing with me.”  
I hear Octavia laughing and I reply, “Whatever, but make it quick.” I follow her to the locker room, where she asks me a bunch of questions and makes me follow her finger with my eyes. Finally, she hands me an ice pack and says, “Well you don’t appear to have a concussion so just put ice on it before the next fight.”  
I can’t help but say, “I told you I was fine, but thanks.” I walk out of the locker room only to, once again, run smack into Allie. “Really, princess, we have to stop meeting like this.”  
She turns red and says, “Um…sorry Stryker. I just wanted to check on you. Eww, that eye doesn’t look so good.”  
“I promise, it looks worse than it is. Besides, the doc has already checked it out and says I’m fine. Thanks for checking on me though.” I lean down and give her a quick peck on the cheek and started walking toward Sloan’s booth.  
When Sloan sees me, she winces. “Damn, that looks like it hurts.”  
“Not really. So, what are the odds on the next fight?”  
“I thought we agreed, no more bets?”  
“Technically, you said no more large bets. I thought I would just bet the $50,000 max, that shouldn’t qualify as a large bet.” I say with a smile.  
She shakes her head and smiles. “You are unbelievable, you know that? They are -150 for you to win and +3500 for you to finish in the first round. Let me guess, $50k on you in the first round.”  
“You got it, babe!” I say as O is coming up to make her bet. I decide to go and get a quick protein smoothie before the next fight. I run into Coop at the snack bar and we chat for a few and exchange numbers. I also tell him about the BBQ and tell him that I will text him the details later.  
About five minutes later I am climbing into the cage once again. I look my opponent it her eyes and get the feel she likes to be in control. She has light brown eyes and looks to be in really good shape. We touch gloves and I see that she has a tattoo on her right forearm of a black panther crouching in a tree ready to pounce.  
The bell rings and I head out to the middle of the ring. I can tell right away that she is going to try to get me on the ground and try and control the round from there by the way she is circling and shooting. I throw a hard kick to her front leg making it buckle a little. She throws a jab that I dodge but then quickly dives at my legs. I could kick myself for being overconfident and not seeing the move coming. We hit the mat and I quickly roll her so that I am on top. She grabs my head trying to control it so that I can’t posture up and throw elbows or hammer fists.  
She briefly loses head control, and I am able to land a vicious elbow to her right eyebrow opening a cut. Somehow, she is able to flip me and get a full guard on me. She puts her forearm across my neck to interrupt my breathing. I take my left hand and shove her elbow off my neck so that her arm passes to the side of my head. I then place my head against her tricep and my bicep against her neck fully wrapping my right arm around her head and squeeze. It only takes a few seconds for her to tap. I release as soon as I feel her tap and stand up. I immediately help her up and tell her she fought a good fight. The ref raises my hand and says, ‘Your winner Lexa Trikru by arm triangle coke.’ The crowd goes wild and I am tackled by Octavia.  
She says, “Wow, I thought you were in trouble there for a minute but that was awesome!”  
“O, can you please get off of me? I need to get out of the ring.” I walk out of the cage and I am surrounded by Octavia’s group of friends, well I guess by now they are my friends too. Everyone is congratulating me and patting me on the back when Sami says, “So, Lexa where are we going to celebrate after you win the tournament and O wins her fight?”  
Before I can reply Octavia says, “Well Sami that’s a secret for now. We will have to see what happens in this last fight.”  
Everyone looks from her to me, and I just shrug. I start to walk toward Sloan’s booth when I feel someone grab my wrist. I turn around to see Allie. Before I can say anything, her lips are on mine. At first, I’m surprised and confused, but instead of fighting it, I decide to just go with it. I kiss her back and run my tongue across her lips asking permission to enter. She immediately opens up and our tongues begin to fight for dominance. Just as we begin to find our rhythm, I hear someone clear their throat and say, “Get a room.”  
I look up to see Clarke turning and walking away. Whatever! I look into Allie’s bluish green eyes and say, “Not that I mind, but what was that for?”  
She blushes and says, “I’m sorry! I don’t usually do things like that, especially in public but…I don’t know.”  
I smirk, “You are cute when you are rambling. It’s fine, I quite enjoyed it. Can we maybe continue this later?”  
“Um…sure.”  
“Good!” I lean in and give her a quick peck on the lips and continue to walk toward Sloan’s booth. When I get there, Sloan smiles, “I know, I know, $50k on the next fight for you to win in the first round. You do realize this is the championship fight, right?”  
I laugh and say, “Yes, I know. What are the odds and yes please on the bet?”  
She says, “Does it really matter what the odds are?”  
“Not really, just curious.”  
“-250 to win and +4500 for a first-round finish. Please be careful. Jas’s sister is a UFC fighter, so she knows what she is doing out there.”  
“Thanks for the heads up, but I will be fine.”


	16. Lexa

I have about fifteen minutes before the championship fight. I find O and fill her in on what Sloan told me about Jas. She looks at me and says, “Yeah, I was going to tell you about that. I have seen Jas fight a couple of times and she is a big girl with a lot of power, but nothing you can’t handle. Just be prepared for her to try and muscle you up against the cage and use her elbows and knees to get you on the ground so that she can pound on you.”  
“Awesome! Any suggestions on what I should do?”  
She smiles, “Don’t let her get you up against the cage or on the ground.”  
“Really? I’m going to the locker room to relax, come get me when there is five minutes to fight time.” I turn and head to the locker room only to be joined by Clarke. I stopped and looked at her before saying, “What is it now? I really just want to relax for a few minutes before this next fight. I don’t want to argue with you.”  
She looks at the ground and says, “Why do you think I came to argue with you?”  
“Mainly because you are either yelling at me or arguing with me. Never once have you had a civil conversation with me. I really just need to get my head right so can whatever wait until after the fight?”  
“Look Lexa, I just wanted to check on you one last time and tell you good luck. Um…and I wanted to say thanks for earlier. So, can we just go in the locker room and let me have a quick look, please.”  
“Clarke, I’m fine and it was no problem. I couldn’t stand by and let him lay his hands on you. I’m just getting a little stiff and need to go stretch a little that’s all. You are welcome to come if you want just no yelling.”  
She laughs, “Fine, come on then.”  
We go into the locker room and she looks at my eye again before I start trying to stretch out my shoulders. I sit on the bench and close my eyes and begin rolling my neck and stretching. Suddenly, I’m startled by someone touching me and massaging my neck. My eyes snap open and I jump only to be held in place with strong hands. Clarke whispers, “Calm down, you are super tight. I’m just trying to help loosen you up. Why don’t you lay down so I can get your hamstrings too?”  
“Um…okay.” I do as she asks, and she begins to massage my shoulders down to my back and then my legs. It honestly feels amazing, so I just lay there and let her work her magic. I can’t help but think how good it feels to be touched by her even if it is innocent. I start to feel the butterflies in my stomach the longer this goes on and know that I have to stop her. I have felt an attraction to her since we met but she is with Finn and I’m not that type of person even if he is an asshole. I need to get some distance between us and fast.  
I clear my throat and say, “Um…Clarke…I think I should start getting my gloves and everything on and ready. Um…I really appreciate you helping me, but won’t Finn be pissed if he finds out you are helping me?” She stops and I sit up so that I can look at her. She really is beautiful.  
She just stares at me for a moment before saying, “Probably. The reason he was mad earlier is he bet against you and lost big. I told him he was stupid for betting against you in the first place and that if he wanted to win his money back, he should just bet on you to win. That just set him off even more and we got into a huge fight and he was about to hit me when you stepped in. It’s fine though, I’m sure he will meet up with us after the fights.”  
“Clarke don’t take this the wrong way, but Finn seems like a real jerk. I mean I haven’t known him long, but he just rubs me the wrong way. He seems to have some anger issues and he definitely doesn’t like me. Has he ever hit you before?”  
She just laughs, “Yeah, he can be an ass, but he doesn’t mean it when he gets mad sometimes, he just snaps. He never means to and it’s never that hard. We have just been together for so long; I think everyone just expects us to stay together. Our families have always been close, and he wants to go into politics and feels that my mom’s work will look good for him when he starts campaigning.”   
“I don’t want to pry, but what do you want? If I have learned anything in my short life, it’s that a person needs to do what makes them happy. You shouldn’t stay with someone just because it’s safe. I even told Ash that I didn’t want her to choose me just because I am the safe choice because she knows that she can trust me, and I won’t hurt her. I want her to choose me because she can’t live without me. I honestly believe that is what everyone deserves, to be happy. What I’m trying to say is don’t settle for someone you can live without.”  
She puts her hand on my leg and squeezes, “Dang Lexa, you just got deep. I really appreciate what you said, and I will think about it. Good luck out there.”   
About that time, Octavia comes in and says, “It’s go time, bitch! Oh sorry, I thought you were in here alone. Hey Clarke.”  
I just laugh, “It’s fine O, Clarke was just checking my eye one last time. Let’s go.”  
I follow her out of the locker room and immediately hear loud music playing. I look at her and she shrugs saying that it is the main event, and we are going to a different room that can hold more spectators. We follow the sound of the music and when I enter the room, the crowd goes crazy and the announcer says, ‘Ladies and gentlemen this is the fight we have all been waiting for…the main event…the championship match of tonight’s tournament. In case you are just getting here this evening, let me recap what we have seen here today. We have a newcomer who has taken the tournament by storm, ending all her matches in the first round. Fighting out of the red corner standing five foot eight inches tall and weighing one hundred and forty-two pounds is Lexa ‘Stryker’ Trikru.’  
I can’t help but smile at the name and look in the front row to see Allie smiling up at me. I walk into the cage and raise my hands. If possible, the crowd gets louder and then I hear them chanting, ‘Stryker, Stryker, Stryker’ I can’t believe it. I know in this moment; this is what I am meant to do. I was born to fight and now I’m doing it because I want to not because someone is forcing me to.  
The announcer starts my opponents’ intro and the crowd quiets down. ‘In the blue corner, standing at six feet eight inches tall and weighing in at one hundred and eighty-three pounds all the way from Brazil…Jaslene ‘Jas the killer’ Andrada.’ She walks into the ring and I can see for the first time just how big she really is. She is a foot taller than me and has an amazing body. You can tell that she trains hard and often. We approach the middle of the ring to touch gloves. I’m expecting her to make some comment about me going down or something but as I look up at her while touching gloves, she just smiles and says good luck.  
In my corner, O says, “Don’t forget what we talked about. Expect her to come out trying to muscle you to the ground. I have heard that she is quick to anger and when she is angry, she gets carless and leaves herself open.”  
“Alright, thanks. Octavia if we get deep into the round, find a way to let me know when I have a minute left. Hopefully, it won’t go that far but just in case, I need to know.” She nods her head as the bell rings. Andrada comes out with her hands high and throws a few jabs but none of them land. I throw a front kick to her stomach just to keep her on her heels. She throws another jab and then shoots for my legs, but I take a quick step back and push her head down and away while bringing my knee up connecting with her forehead. She falls back into the fence; I follow fast with a flying knee that she partially blocks. She quickly grabs me into a clinch and flips me so that my back is against the cage.   
She is definitely strong, but so am I. I grab her neck and pull down while rotating her so that she is against the fence and throw a couple of knees to her body. She lowers her hands to block my knees, so I unload a hard-right elbow that connects to her temple staggering her. She recovers quickly and catches me with an uppercut that snaps my head back. She goes low trying to get a double leg take down but only manages to grab one leg. I throw a right hook to her body and a left hook to her head. As she lets go of my leg, I manage to catch her with another knee to the forehead. She stumbles back to the middle of the cage but doesn’t go down. I’ll give it to her; she has a strong chin. I take two quick steps toward her and hit her in the nose with a superman punch. I hear the pop as her nose breaks.  
Again, the cage keeps her from going down. She shakes her head and smiles at me. What the hell? She comes charging out and slams me to the mat hard. I grab her neck and pull it toward me so that I can control her head. She pulls out of my hold and throws a massive elbow to my right eye opening a cut. I use my feet and push off the mat throwing her off me over my head. I roll onto my stomach pull my knees under me and as she comes toward me, I push off as hard as I can with my arms. Launching my feet at her head, connecting right under her chin as my momentum carries me on through a backflip landing on my feet as she flies into the cage and slides down out cold.  
The crowd erupts as I throw my hands into the air. O comes running into the cage and lifts me up and spins me around. The chant starts again, ‘Stryker, Stryker, Stryker.’ I guess Allie’s name for me is now officially my fight name. I feel amazing! Once Octavia puts me down, I walk over to check on Jas. The ref has her awake and sitting up so that is a good sign. I bend over and say, “Are you alright?”  
She smiles and says, “I will be. What the hell was that move?”  
“I don’t really know. Someone I used to know taught me a few capoeira moves, I guess it was some combination of those. You are a great fighter. I hope we meet again sometime.”  
She says, “Thanks, would you be willing to train with me sometime?”  
“Sure, just ask Micky for my number. Here let me help you up for the official decision and I have a doctor friend in the crowd if you want her to take a look at you.” I help her to her feet, and we go to the center of the ring for the decision.   
The announcer comes out and begins, “The winner by knockout in the third minute of the first round and tournament champion Stryker!” The ref raises my hand, and the crowd jumps to their feet chanting my name. I turn to walk out of the cage when Allie jumps into my arms wrapping her legs around me and proceeds to kiss me, right here in front of everyone. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do, but I kiss her back quickly and then pull away smiling. I set her down and walk out of the ring right into my group of friends, where Clarke immediately grabs my chin so that she can see my eye.  
I look at her and say, “I promise, I’m fine. Before you say anything, follow me to the locker room and I will let you stitch me up before going to see Micky about a boat.” Twenty minutes later, I have had a shower and ten stitches in my eyebrow. Octavia and I head into Micky’s office, where we are met by a smiling Micky. I start laughing. I can’t help it; I mean he looks awfully happy about losing his yacht. I can’t take it, I say, “Why are you so happy? You just lost your yacht.”  
He just laughs, “Kid, I never liked that stupid boat anyway. It was a gift for my ex-wife that I got in the divorce just to piss her off. Besides, you made me a lot of money tonight and now that you are a regular, I’m sure there is a lot more to come. Here’s the keys and directions to where she is docked. I’ve already called the Captain and told him to get the crew together. It should be fully stocked and ready for your celebration party. Captain Miguel will have all the paperwork and can answer any questions you have. I never even took the time to name her so once you decide on a name let me know and I will have it painted as a sign on bonus.”   
I smile and say, “Thanks for everything, Micky. As far as the name, I’m going to call her ‘The Untouchable Stryker’.”  
“No kid, thank you. I will text you when to bring it in for the paint job. Now go enjoy it.”  
As soon as the door closes to Micky’s door, I grab O in a bear hug. “Can you fucking believe this? We’re millionaires and I have a yacht. A fucking yacht! I know they always say that America is where dreams come true, but I never imagined anything like this.”  
“Lexa or should I say Stryker, I wouldn’t be a millionaire if it weren’t for you. I can’t believe you did this for me. Now I can buy my mom a house wherever she wants, but right now I’m ready to celebrate.”  
“So am I, but you have a fight in about an hour. Let’s go see Sloan about our money and then I need food. I’m starving!”


	17. Lexa

It takes us fifteen minutes to walk about a hundred yards because of everyone waiting to congratulate me. When we do finally make it to Sloan, she is smiling. “That was an amazing fight, Stryker. What was that move you did at the end? I’ve never seen anything like it.”  
“You mean you actually got to see the fight? I don’t know what that move was. It was just a combination of moves that a friend of mine taught me back in Afghanistan.”  
“Well, whatever it was it was great. If you will give me your account numbers, I will wire your money at the end of the night.”   
I smile and say, “Sure thing. Oh, and is there somewhere I can go to eat in private? I don’t really think I will get to eat out here right now and I don’t want to leave because Octavia fights soon but girl, I’m starving.”  
She laughs and says, “Leave it to me, I will hook you up!” She opens the door to the booth and motions me in.  
I look at O and tell her I will meet her in the locker room shortly. Sloan leads me into an office off the back of her booth and tells me she will deliver my food in a few minutes. Soon I have a huge steak with a bake potato, a bottled water, and a bottle of Patron. I smile and ask, “How did you know?”  
She winks and says, “Easy, I asked O. Take your time and eat, when you are done just go through that door and it will lead you to the locker room.”  
She starts to walk out, and I say, “Hey Sloan, thanks for everything. I’m having a celebration later tonight on my new yacht if you would like to come.” She just nods and walks back to her booth.  
Once I finish eating, I look at my watch and see that it is about 7:30. I really want to share this moment with Ash but know that I can’t. I do however send her a quick text.  
Me: ‘Hey, I’m going to stay at Octavia’s tonight. What time did you want to get together tomorrow?’  
Ash: ‘Doesn’t matter. What are you all up to tonight?’  
Me: ‘We have a party to go to. How about you?’  
Ash: ‘Just left the zoo, headed to dinner. Probably headed home after putting Asher to bed. How about we say around noon, that way you have some time to recover from the party.’  
Me: ‘LOL, good call. Can we plan on spending the day together, just us? I have a surprise!’  
Ash: ‘I would like that. Lexa, please be careful tonight and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.’  
Me: ‘I will. I will pick you up at noon tomorrow.’  
I just sit there staring at my phone for a moment thinking about everything that has happened today. I wish that I could tell Ash about my day and have her come celebrate with me, but I know that isn’t going to happen. She is with Callie and Asher tonight and as much as I don’t like the thought of that, I can’t be mad about it. I mean after all; I did kiss Allie twice tonight already and then there was that threesome last night. What am I doing?  
I hear a knock on the door and Sloan peaks in. “You really should get going if you want to catch O in the locker room.”  
“Thanks, Sloan.”  
I put my phone up and headed into the locker room to find her. When I walked into the locker room it was empty, I guess she already headed to the cage. I head out to watch the fight only to be surrounded by people wanting to take pictures with me and congratulate me. I take a few quick ones and then find my way through the crowd and to ring side where I’m met by my entire group of friends, but Allie is nowhere to be found.  
I see Octavia at the bottom of the steps leading up to the cage and head over to her. “Hey, sorry I missed you in the locker room. Do you need me to help you with anything?”  
She says, “No problem, I figured you got cornered by all of the people wanting pictures. I could use some help taping up my hands.”  
I take the tape from her and begin tapping while I ask her about who she is fighting. She says she’s fighting Abigail Beltran. She says that she has seen her fight once or twice but has never fought her herself. I ask, “Is she any good?”  
She smiles, “I mean she’s not bad, but I should be able to handle her, although I don’t know if I will finish her in the first round like the amazing Stryker.”  
“Shut up! I can’t believe that name caught on so quickly. Are you upset with me about my fights?”  
She snaps her head towards me and looks me in the eyes, “Why on earth would you think that? Lexa you made me a millionaire today, how could I be mad about that?”  
“I don’t know, I just thought that maybe you would be mad because I came here to your sanctuary and caused an uproar that you may be upset. You know I would never want to do anything to hurt our friendship.”  
“Lexa, are you crazy? I’m not jealous or anything of how well you did or how well you fight because I know the real reason you are so good. You didn’t choose to be a solider or to learn how to fight but you took what you learned from a bad situation and used it to better yourself. I do this for fun and to make money, not that I need the money anymore thanks to you. So, no I’m not mad, I’m grateful, but I would like for you to train me at some point.”  
I laugh and give her a hug. “Sure thing, now go out there and kick some ass so we can get to partying.”  
The announcer begins the introduction, “In the red corner standing five foot nine inches and weighing in at one hundred eighty-seven pounds is your reigning Super middle weight champion, Octavia ‘Sweet Pea’ Blake! Her opponent for tonight standing in at six foot five inches weighing in at One hundred and ninety-five pounds is Abigail ‘the Bell’ Beltrain. Since this is a fight for the Super middle weight belt, the match will be five rounds instead of three. Fighters touch gloves and go to your corners and await the bell.”  
When O get over to me, I say, “What the hell, why didn’t you tell me you were the champ, and this fight was for your belt? You should have been at home resting not here with me all day.”  
She puts her hands on my shoulders and says, “It’s not a big deal, every fight I fight is for my belt now that I have it.”  
The bell rings and she goes to the middle of the ring. The first round goes by quick with O showing a few kicks before taking her to the ground and pounding on her for the majority of the round. Between rounds, I tell her, “She is dropping her left hand when she throws her right jab. If circle left when she throws it, you can catch her with a left hook and follow it up with a right uppercut.”  
She nods her head and the bell rings. Octavia meets her at the center of the ring and throws a few jabs. Then when Abigail throws her right jab, she plants and throws a heavy left hook that lands on her temple. She then takes a quick step forward and catches her with the uppercut, knocking her out. I run out and lift O up and spin her around.  
The announcer comes back out and declares ‘Sweet Pea’ the winner by TKO. Everyone joins us in the ring to celebrate. She looks at me and says, “Wow, how did you know to tell me that?”  
“I just watched her movements in the first round and saw that she consistently dropped her left on her jabs, then told you what I would do if I were fighting. You did an amazing job. Now hit the showers so we can go party.”  
She smiles and looks at the group before saying, “You guys head over to the Dragon’s Den and we will text you in about an hour with an address on where to meet us.”  
Sami says, “Yo, ‘Sweet Pea’ why you being so secretive?”  
I laugh and say, “Because we have a surprise for everyone, but it is going to take us a little bit to get everything set up. I promise it will be worth the wait and everyone should just plan to crash with me tonight, just know that you have to be gone by ten in the morning.”


	18. Lexa

Octavia and I follow Mickey’s directions and head down the 101 to Laguna street and then turn onto Marina boulevard to the docks. I find a parking spot and we walk down the slips until we find slip number twenty-two. What we find isn’t just a yacht, it is the biggest boat I have ever seen. It has to be at least 400 feet long and at least four stories tall. I look at O and say, “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”   
She says, “Only when Bellamy took us to the Naval Base on family day to tour the boats, but they weren’t as nice as this, just as big. Come on let’s go aboard and see if everything is ready for the party and then explore a little before everyone gets here.”  
We walk down the gang plank towards the slip when a guy at a security booth stops us to ask where we are headed. I tell him that we are headed to my yacht parked in slip number twenty-two. He laughs and nice try, but that is Mr. Mickey’s yacht. I say it was but now it is mine if you don’t believe me call Mickey or Captain Miguel.   
He picks up the phone and I hear him say, “Captain, I have two young girls here that say they own Mr. Mickey’s yacht. Is that true?”  
I’m not sure what is said on the other end, but the guard looks at me and asks me my name. Then he returns to his phone call. When he hangs up, he says “Sorry, allow me to give you a lift in my cart here down to your new yacht. Is there anything you need to bring aboard?”  
I said, “Sure, hold on and let me grab our bags.” I run to the jeep and grab both our overnight bags and then climb in the cart. The guard tries to make small talk on the short ride, but I really don’t hear anything because I am too busy look at the massive boat.  
When we arrive at the entrance to the slip, it is lined with the Captain and what I guess is the crew. As I get out of the cart I say, “There will be a good many people showing up in the next couple of hours looking for me so it would be helpful if you just show them the way.”  
The guard replies, “Um…ma’am…I’m not supposed to just let anyone down here. I have to either call you for permission to let them through or you can have one of your crew come and get them.”  
“I understand, but how about we set up a new system for me since I now own the boat and the slip. I will give all of my guests a password and if they know the password you let them pass. I will change the password each time I plan on having a large group of people. How does that sound?”  
He replies, “Well…um…that really isn’t the policy that is set up and I will have to ask my superiors and get this approved before…”  
“Okay, let me stop you right there. What is your name and how often do you work the night shift here?”  
“My name is Roger; ma’am and I work the night shift Friday thru Tuesday.”  
“It is nice to meet you Roger. I’m Lexa and this is Octavia. I will pay you a thousand dollars to implement my system every time I have a party during your shift, all you have to do is ask for the password and send them down. How does that sound? If you want to get it approved that’s fine with me as long as at least for tonight you do things my way. Here is the money, do we have a deal?”  
“Umm…Sure. What is tonight’s password?”  
I look at O and smirk, “Tonight’s password will be Stryker, anyone that knows the password is allowed down here.”  
He smiles and says, “Yes, ma’am.”  
We get out of Roger’s cart and head over to where the Captain is waiting. I look at him and then the long line of crew standing there. There has to be over fifty people lined up alongside the Captain. I hold out my hand and say, “Good evening, you must be Captain Miguel. I’m Lexa Trikru and this is Octavia Blake, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
Captain Miguel says, “It is nice to meet you as well Ms. Trikru and Ms. Blake, allow me to introduce you to my first mates. They will be the ones to make sure you have everything you need and then I will introduce you to the rest of the crew. Jose and Reed step forward please.”  
I can’t believe the two names I hear him call out. At first, I think, there is no way that it is actually the Jose and Reed that I know until they step forward. I take one look at them and realize it is them. I run up to them and grab them in a group hug before the Captain can introduce them. I release them and say, “How the hell…what are you two doing here?”  
Jose says, “That’s a long story. How are you here and how are you now the owner of this yacht?”  
I laugh, “Well that’s a long story too, but one I will share once we have a chance to catch up.”  
The Captain clears his throat before saying, “It looks like you already know my first mates. One day you will have to tell me the story of how, but right now we need to give you a tour and introductions before your party goers begin to arrive. How does that sound?”  
“That sounds amazing, but first I have a couple of questions for you.”  
Captain says, “Hold your questions until after the introductions so the crew can get back to work.” He then takes us down the massive line of crew and introduces us to everyone. I can’t help but think that I am never going to remember everyone’s name tonight, but I will make it a priority to eventually learn them all. I also need to find out how much everyone gets paid and how often. Holy crap, I have a lot of questions, but most can wait until later.  
Once the introductions have been made the Captain tells us to follow him, Reed, and Jose. As soon as we are onboard the Captain begins our tour, but first I ask him a few questions. I say, “Captain, how long will it take to sail from here to the sea cliff community and can we drop anchor offshore there?”  
He replies, “It will only take about thirty minutes to get there and I’m sure we can drop anchor there, but I will check with the harbor master about how long we can stay. Why do you ask?”  
“I’m staying there with a friend right now and I am supposed to pick her up at noon tomorrow and I was thinking if it was alright with her and of course whoever else needs to give permission, that I would probably just anchor there and live on the ship.”  
He says, “I will make a few calls and see what I can find out for you as for tomorrow it shouldn’t be a problem. Will you need a full crew?”  
“That’s my next question, how does the whole crew thing work? Is everyone full time and live on the boat or…how does it work.”  
He smiles and says, “Well that is up to you and how much you plan on using the ship. Mr. Mickey hardly ever used it so he would just call ahead and let us know his plans and I would staff accordingly but it is really up to you.”  
“This is a lot to think about. What if I plan on using it as basically a floating house? How many crew members would I need daily and could I keep the rest on like a retainer type plan when I plan a trip or something?”  
He replies, “We can hash out all the details later, but yes you can keep some of the crew members as live-in and others can be on-call so to speak. What do you require for tomorrow?”  
“I really don’t know, so can we just plan on the whole crew working tomorrow and then we can figure it out from there?”  
“Sure, that will be fine. Now let Jose and Reed show you and Ms. Blake to your quarters and give you a quick tour of the ship.”  
“Thank you, Captain.” As the Captain walks away, I turn to Jose and Reed and introduce them to O. She asks, “How do you know these guys?”  
Jose, Reed, and I laugh. I say, “That is a long story, but you have heard most of it. Remember when I told the story of how I met Ash and then the battle of the Valley and the mission in which Ash was taken? Well, these two guys were with me on all of those plus they helped me capture Ahmed.”  
She looks at them and then me and says, “Really? Then how are they here now if they were working for the Taliban?”  
“Like I said it is a long story and I don’t even know all of it, but we will find out when we have more time. Right now, just know that I trust them. Now guys if you will give us a quick tour before our crazy friends arrive.”  
We spend the next thirty minutes following them around the main parts of the yacht just so we kind of know our way around. This thing is amazing, it has its own spa that has a pool that can be heated or turned into an ice bath, a sauna, two different massage areas, a jacuzzi, a hammam (I don’t even know what that is.) and even a cryotherapy chamber. These will definitely help to keep us in tip top fighting shape.  
After showing us the spa, we are shown the dive deck that has a professional dive center with experienced dive instructors, some of the dive equipment onboard is four Poseidon seven rebreathers and ten other conventional dive equipment. Then we move on to where the water toys are stored. In here we have three GTX300 jet skis, one GTX260 jet ski, four F5S Seabobs, hover board, foil board, stand up paddle boards, kayaks, water skis, towable inflatables and more. Next is the onboard boats available which are a 12.50m Compass Limousine, 11.80m Windy Limousine, 10.50 work tender, a 9.50 inflatable work tender, 8.30 Super Air Nautic Sport tender and two Pascoe tenders.  
I look at O and say, “What the hell? I don’t even know what half this stuff is, do you?”  
She laughs and replies, “I mean, I have seen some of it on tv and stuff but never up close. We are going to have an awesome time playing with all this stuff over the next few weeks.”  
“Yeah, I hate to say it but I almost wish I didn’t have plans with Ash tomorrow so we could try this stuff out. I guess we have all the time in the world though since I own it now.”  
Reed says, “Lexa we have just enough time to show you the cinema and then we will take you to your room. Once you are settled in there, you can give us a call and we will take you up to the ‘party deck’ where the band is setting up and the caterer is setting up the food.”  
“Wait, did you say band?”  
Jose laughs and says, “Yep, Micky hired a band, told us to stock up on alcohol and is having a full buffet of food set up. How exactly did you come to be the owner of this fine vessel?”  
O and I laugh before she says, “Lexa here likes to bet big on her fights. She won it in a bet. We will tell you the whole story later. Show us to our rooms, please.”  
We follow them down to what they call the ‘master suite.’ I call it the ‘master floor’ because it is literally a whole floor. I ask, “What about Octavia?”  
Reed says, “I will show her the other suites and she can choose one.”  
“Oh…okay. Yeah, O pick whichever one you want, and we will put your name on the door, and you can do whatever you want to it. Jose, give me about fifteen minutes and then come get me. I just want a few minutes to look around here before heading up. O, I will see you up on the party deck.”  
I take a few minutes to look around at my new home. This place is crazy, the bedroom has a king size bed and a 180-degree view. It also has a sitting area with a huge sectional couch and a 100-inch tv mounted about a fireplace. It also has a massive surround sound system, with speakers in the sitting area and the bedroom area. The bathroom is bigger than Ash and I’s entire room in the dessert at Ahmed’s. It has a huge, round soaking tub in the middle of the room, with an exceptionally large shower that has two shower heads. Across from the bathroom, is what looks like two walk-in closets and something that has a bunch of mirrors and makeup in it. I think I can do without this room, maybe turn it into a room with some boxing equipment. Next is a large office area, with a smaller office attached to it. Again, not sure I need these but whatever. Then there is a large living room area with couches, another 100-inch tv, a dining room table, small kitchen and even a bar. From here, I walk outside to an outdoor area that has a large sitting area with outdoor dining. Further out there is another sitting area surrounding a fire pit.  
Jose finds me out by the fire pit, “Hey Lexa, you about ready to head upstairs?”  
“Yeah, sure.”  
He laughs, “Are you okay? You look like you are a bit overwhelmed.”  
I smile, “Yeah, I just can’t believe how far we have come. I mean less than a year ago we were being held as captive soldiers by Ahmed, now I’m standing on a super yacht that I own talking to someone I never thought I would see again. It’s just a lot you know?”  
“Lexa, I totally get it, but you know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I can never repay you for what you have done for me, but I will spend the rest of my life trying.”  
“Dude, you have nothing to pay me back for and once this weekend is over, we are going to sit down and have a nice long chat about how we all got here. Unfortunately, I have a bunch of crazy people about to arrive for a celebration party. So, let’s head upstairs and prepare ourselves and get some food. I should probably give you fair warning, most of these guys are real partiers and can sometimes get out of hand. Then there is this guy Finn, who hates me, so just watch him.”  
Jose smiles and says, “Lexa, you know Reed and I have your six. You just concentrate on having a good time.”  
Soon I was joined by O and we started to look around the deck. There was a stage at one end of what doubles as a helipad, where the band was finishing set up. On the right-hand side, there was a full buffet of food and on the end across from the band a large full bar with three bartenders ready to go. The floor was lit up as a dance floor, there were some high-top tables set up around the dance floor. The set up was amazing and the band was beginning to play just as the guys started arriving.  
I went to the bar and downed a few quick shots before grabbing a plate full of food. Soon the place was packed, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. A few more shots later and I was having a great time dancing with whoever wanted to dance. The only person I haven’t seen is Allie. I don’t know what’s up with her, she is almost worse than Ash was when I first met her about being hot and cold. I decide to give her a while longer and then maybe text her, but then again, she has my number so she could call me too.  
Whatever! I just want to have a good time and not have to think about anything. Soon I see Clarke and Finn over by the bar and they look like they are arguing. It’s really none of my business but I decide to go over and get another drink. When I get to the bar, I walk up behind Finn and order my drink. As soon as he hears my voice, he turns around and smirks. “Well, if it isn’t the war hero turned illegal fighter. How did you manage to get the use of this place for the night?”  
“You know what Finn? I have a question for you, if you hate me so much why are you always showing up where I am. Just so you know, this is my boat and the only reason I let you hang around is because of Clarke. If it weren’t for her, I would throw you off this boat right now.”  
He laughs, “Yeah right, this is your boat. There is no way you own this.”  
“Oh really, why don’t you ask O or better yet anybody working here tonight. Guess you didn’t hang around for the fights tonight or you would know that I won the boat and a whole lot of money. Oh yeah, I forgot you were the one stupid person of the group and bet against me. How did that turn out for you? Fact is I don’t care what you think about me, but what I do care about is how you treat my friends. So, that being said, I better not see you causing any trouble tonight and if you ever lay another hand on Clarke, I will kill you.” I just turned and walked away.  
I walked straight up to the stage where the band had just finished playing a song. I asked for the microphone and when it was handed to me spoke, “Hey everyone, I hope you are all enjoying yourselves tonight. I see some faces that I don’t recognize, so in case you don’t know who I am, my name is Lexa, and this is my boat. I just wanted to say a few words and then I will let you get back to having a good time. First off, I would like to say thank you to my best friend Octavia. O without you I wouldn’t be standing here right now on my own boat. Second, everyone is invited to stay the night. There are plenty of rooms, so if you can’t drive please stay. And lastly, if you do stay, I need you gone by ten in the morning. Okay, that’s all I got. Now everyone have a good time.”  
O comes up and gives me a hug, “What was all that about?”  
“I don’t know. I just wanted everyone to know they are welcome to stay but I have plans for my new toy tomorrow. I also just wanted Finn to know that I was serious about this being my boat. He really just irritates the hell out of me. I don’t know why Clarke stays with him, especially if he hits her. Now, let’s have some fun. Then again, I may just take my tired ass down to my floor and soak in a hot bath and then crash.”  
She gives me a surprised look and says, “What? You can’t go to bed this is your celebration. You need to drink up and find someone to hook up with. I know that’s what I’m going to do.”  
“O, I’m tired and hooking up isn’t really my style. Besides, doesn’t everyone here have a significant other?”  
“Well yeah, put there are a few that don’t. Besides, it’s early and I’m hoping more people show up. You are just upset that Allie didn’t show.”  
“I don’t know maybe, but what I really want is Ash and we all know what’s going on there. You know what maybe I will stay and party some and who knows maybe I will follow your lead.”  
“That’s my girl, now let’s go find those single girls and show them a good time!”


	19. Lexa

I wake up early the next morning to find a pale red headed naked woman in my bed. Don’t get me wrong she had a great body, but the problem is I don’t remember bringing her down here or anything that happened. I quickly slide out from under her and head to the closet to get some clothes on and then leave to go look for food. I head upstairs and luckily see a crew member to ask where I could find something for breakfast. He is super nice and tells me to follow him. He leads me to the back of the boat where I find two chefs in identical cooking areas. I’m not sure what to expect because I really didn’t get to explore to much last night. I walk up to one of the cooking stations and the chef asks me, “What can I get you miss?”  
I don’t know what to say so I ask him, “What are my choices? Never mind, can I just get a cheese omelet with a side of salsa and do you happen to have a steak that you could grill to go with it.”  
He smiles and says, “I’m sure I can find one. Why don’t you go and have a seat and I will have Petrona bring it out to you when it is ready. How do you like you steak cooked?”  
“Medium, thank you. Where can I get something to drink?”  
“I will send Petrona out to get your drink order, now just go sit and relax.”  
I barely get sit down when an older Hispanic woman says, “Good morning, ma’am. My name is Petrona. What can I get you to drink? Perhaps a mimosa or juice.”  
I look up at her and find a beautiful pair of sparkling greenish blue eyes. She is heavy-set and looks to be a little shorter than me. Her long black hair is French braided and hangs down her back. I say, “Good morning, Petrona. I’m Lexa and a mimosa with pineapple juice would be amazing. Could I also get a glass of ice water as well?”  
“Yes ma’am, no problem. I will be right back.”  
As I sit here looking out at the water, I can’t help but wonder how Ash is doing and what happened with Callie yesterday. I’m surprised when Petrona puts down my drinks. I didn’t hear her approach. She smiles and says, “Miss Lexa are you okay? You look sad, especially for someone who had such a nice party last night.”  
Something about Petrona makes me feel like I can talk to her. She makes me think of a grandmother figure or something. I look at her and say, “Thanks for asking Petrona, but I’m okay. Although, I would really appreciate it if everyone would just call me Lexa. If I’m going to live on this boat, I want my crew to be comfortable talking to me as an equal, like a big family.”  
She smiles and says, “So, does that mean you are not replacing us?”  
“What? Why would you think that I am replacing anyone?”  
Petrona looks at the floor and says, “Well, Miss Lexa, in past jobs when the boat changes owners the new one usually brings in their own crew. I just need to know if I need to start looking for another job and place to live.”  
“Petrona, it is not my intention to replace anyone. Look I’m new to town, hell I’m new to this country and I have no idea what I’m doing. I won this boat in a bet and it is going to take me some time to figure everything out, but I plan on keeping everyone in some way or another. I have to talk to the Captain and my friend Ash but then I will speak to the entire crew. What is it that you do onboard?”  
“Well ma’am…”  
I interrupt, “Please call me Lexa.”  
“Yes ma’am, I mean Lexa. I am one of the live-in care takers. When the ship is docked and there is no one aboard, I just make sure everything stays clean and in good order. When there are guests aboard, I do various things like waiting tables, making sure all the guests have towels and things along those lines.”  
“Oh, how many of the crew normally live on the ship full time?”  
She replies, “There are six of us that live here full time, Reed, Jose, me, Logan, Lora and Stefania.”  
“That’s all? What about the Captain?”  
“No, he doesn’t live on the ship.”  
“Ok, thanks for the information and just know that I don’t plan on replacing anyone if they want to stay.” As she walks away, Octavia comes and takes a seat at the table. “Good morning, sunshine.”  
She just grunts at me, “Why are you in such a good mood this early?”  
“Unlike you, I had a great night’s sleep plus I get to spend the day with Ash. I do have a question for you though, who is the girl currently sleeping in my bed?”  
She laughs, “I’m not sure. It something Irish, Ilene…no Aisling. I think. She came with Ahmed and his group of friends. Why?”  
I just don’t remember taking her to bed or anything that happened. How am I going to explain these one-nighter’s to Ash? Which reminds me, can you take the jeep for me. I’m going to have the Captain take the boat to pick up Ash the afternoon.”  
“Are you insane? How are you going to explain to Ash how you came into possession of a multimillion-dollar boat overnight?”  
“I’m going to tell her the truth.”  
She stands up instantly sending the chair flying, “Are you crazy? You can’t tell her about the fights. She will tell Bellamy and Abby and god knows who else. Bellamy will kill me and probably have the whole thing shut down. Then what are we going to do for fun. Lexa, you can’t tell her!”  
“O calm down I will make sure Ash doesn’t say anything to Blake or anyone else about the fights. I’m sure she can come up with something to tell people. Hell, she is rich she can just tell everyone she bought it for me. Now sit down and let’s have some breakfast.”  
“Fine, but you better not screw this up. I still want to have somewhere to fight even though I don’t need the money anymore.”  
Around nine thirty, there was an announcement over the load speaker from Reed. He said, ‘Good morning everyone. The time is now nine thirty meaning it is time for all guest to disembark. Please gather all your belongings and head toward the gangway. There are takeout boxes located near the exit if you would like breakfast to go.’  
I looked at O and we started laughing, “Boy he knows how to say get off in a very polite way.” As we continue to talk, we slowly start to see our friends walking down the dock heading to their cars. By around ten fifteen, Reed and Jose show up. “What’s up guys? Have a seat and have some breakfast with us.”  
They looked at each other before Reed says, “Lexa, we are your employee’s.”  
“Yeah, and you guys are my friends. So, sit down and have some breakfast with me.”  
Reed replies, “The Captain will not like it if he catches us sitting down while on the clock.”  
“You let me worry about him, besides, I need to talk to him at some point anyway.” They reluctantly sat down, and I order them some food. I asked them what needs to be done in order to get ready to head over to Ash’s. Reed said that the cleaning crew was finished cleaning up from the party last night and all that needed to be done now is cleaning the suites. He said it would only take about thirty minutes to get there and the Captain already had the clearance we needed.  
Octavia asks, “So, Stryker what do you have planned for today? You going to try and romance her on your amazing new yacht or what?”  
“That’s a good question, I’m not sure yet.”  
Jose says, “I feel like we are missing something, are you and Ash not still together?”  
I just shake my head no and say, “Now that is an exceptionally long story. Right now, why don’t you tell me how you guys ended up here?”  
Reed looked at Jose before saying, “The short version is, after we left Ahmed’s we wondered around trying to find a way to get out of Afghanistan. Finally, I decided to try going to the US Embassy since I was born in the US. They were able to verify who I was and what had happened to my parents and said that they would get me on a plan back to the states. I didn’t want to leave Jose, so I declined but had them get me an American ID and passport. Next, we tried to get in touch with the Brazilian government to get Jose’s information, but we didn’t have any luck. Unfortunately, they aren’t as organized as the US government. So, we used the money you gave us to buy our way onto a ship headed for California. Once on the boat, we tried to learn as much as we could so that we would have some sort of practical skills once we made it to America. It took us forever to get here but by the time we did we knew enough about boats to pick up odd jobs around the docks until someone told us about a job aboard this boat and now here, we are. What about you, how did you become the owner of this yacht?”  
“Well, I have only been in the States for about a week. Octavia is Blake’s sister and my new best friend. She has shown me around and introduced me to a lot of people, most of who you met last night. Most importantly though she introduced me to Micky, the former owner of this yacht. He is an underground fight promoter and I entered one of his tournaments last night and won. Micky decided to bet against me, which I warned him about, but he did it anyway. Of course, I won, and this is my prize.”  
Reed says, “Wow, that must have been one hell of a bet. What would have happened if you lost?”  
O speaks up, “If this dumbass had of lost a fight, she would be fighting for Micky for free the rest of her life in order to pay him back. It was the stupidest bet I have ever seen anyone make, but somehow she pulled it off.”  
They just laughed and O said, “What’s so funny?”  
Jose said, “Let’s just say that the bet isn’t the stupidest thing we have seen Lexa do and leave it at that. So, what happened with Ash?”  
“I told you, long story. Short version, she found out she had a kid with her high school sweetheart, so she is going to see what happens with Callie.”  
Reed says, “What? I’m not sure exactly how things work when two women are together, but I’m quite sure you should know if you have a kid or not.”  
We all start to laugh before I say, “How that happened is an even longer story. Let’s just go with, we aren’t together right now but I’m not giving up hope that eventually we will find our way back to one another. Right now, I just want to enjoy being alive and free and I want the same for you guys. Jose, were you ever able to get your citizenship with Brazil verified?”   
“Um…no. Right now, I’m working illegally.”  
“Okay, no problem. I will ask Ash how to go about getting you whatever you need to make you legal. Speaking of Ash, O you need to head out. Take the jeep for the day and we will catch up tomorrow. Guys, I think I just want to keep things casual today and start with maybe a light lunch, then a full tour of the ship and go from there. I would like to have a nice dinner set up around nine, maybe steaks and potatoes. Can we set up the dinner down on my floor out by the fire pit and have some soft music playing as well.”  
All three of them laugh, “What’s so funny?”  
O says, “Lexa, a candlelit dinner by the fire isn’t exactly keeping it casual.”  
“Is it too much? You think…should I do something else?”  
Reed says, “No, I think it sounds great. If you are trying to win her back, you should do something romantic and dinner by candlelight is romantic but not over the top. I think it sounds great. Now Jose and I should go make sure everything is ship shape and ready to go. We will be available when we drop anchor to see you to shore.”  
They get up to leave and so does O. I decide to walk her to the jeep. As we pass by the guard booth, I notice there is a different person on duty and make a mental note to stop by on the way back and introduce myself. Once at the jeep, I hand O the keys and tell her to take good care of my baby and I will text her either tonight or in the morning depending on how today goes.  
As I walk up to the guard booth, the guy comes out and says, “Good morning, where are you headed?”  
“Actually, I was going to stop by and introduce myself to you. I’m Lexa Trikru and I just recently acquired the yacht in slip number twenty-two. I’m assuming you are the day guard for the docks since I met Roger last night.”  
He replies, “It’s nice to meet you Ms. Trikru. Roger left me a note telling me the yacht had been sold or whatever. I hope that you use it more than the last owner. He failed to even name her, and she is such a beauty. Oh, sorry my name is Taylor, Taylor Haney.”  
“Nice to meet you Taylor and you will be glad to know that I have already given her a name and intend on using her as my home.”  
“That is good to hear. May I ask what you named her?”  
“Sure, her name is the Untouchable Stryker. Sorry to rush off but I am taking her out today and need to get back aboard. I look forward to seeing you from time to time.” I turn and head back to the boat. Once aboard, I text Reed to let him know that we can leave whenever they are ready and then head to my room. I had just turned on the television when the phone in my room rang.  
“Hello.”  
“Hello, Ms. Trikru, this is Captain Miguel. I was calling to let you know we are ready for disembarkation and I have acquired clearance to dock by the sea cliffs. I will just need the house number so that I know where to dock. Also, if the owner of the sea cliff residence will just call the harbor master, we will be given the all clear to stay anchored there as long as you like.”  
“Thank you, Captain. The house number is 2211.” I hang up and dial Amelia’s number. She answers, “Hello, Lexa, how are you?”  
I reply, “Hey, Amelia, I’m actually great. Is Ash in the room with you?”  
“No, why?”  
“I have a surprise for her, but I need to ask you a question first. Would it be okay to dock a yacht near the beach on your property?”  
Amelia says, “Lexa, what are you talking about?”  
“Please don’t tell Ash and I will explain when I get there to pick her up in a little while. I just need to know if it will be okay to anchor near the beach at the house and if it is, can you please call the harbor master and give the okay.”  
“Lexa, I don’t know where to even begin, but sure I will call and okay it. I do however expect an explanation when you get here.”  
“Yes, ma’am. I will explain everything to you and Ash when I arrive. Thank you.”  
Now the only thing to do is go outside and wait until we arrive. It isn’t long before Reed text and said we would arrive in about five minutes. I decide to text Ash and have her and Amelia meet me on the beach.  
Me: Hey, I should be pulling up in about five minutes.  
Ash: Ok, can’t wait to see you.  
Me: Can you and Amelia meet me down on the beach?  
Ash: What?  
Me: Just trust me. Meet me on the beach and bring Amelia.  
Ash: Fine, see you shortly.  
I hear a knock on the door. When I answer it is Reed, “Are you ready? I thought we would use the Limo tender to really impress Ash. How does that sound?”  
“That sounds amazing. I’ll follow you. We will be picking up Ash and her mother, Amelia. Once we get onboard the yacht, I would like to go up to the outdoor dining area and maybe have snacks or a light lunch and drinks while I explain to them how I am now the owner of this boat. Is that doable?”  
Reed replies, “Sure, I will radio Jose so that he can have everything ready when we arrive back onboard.”  
I climb aboard the tender for the first time. I can’t believe how nice it is. You step down onto the back deck of the tender and there are four seats on the outside. Then as you walk toward the front of the boat there are two steps down and into the interior of the boat. On the inside it reminds me to the limousine that Ash and I road in when we were in Dubai. There are two long rows of bench seats along both sides of the interior. I decide to follow Reed up to the helm and ride to shore with him.  
I just had a thought, “Um…Reed, how are we going to dock the boat when Ash doesn’t have a dock?”  
He laughs, “This boat is equipped for a beach landing, meaning we can just beach her and there is a ladder on the back. Then when we are ready to leave, I will just push her out.”  
“Oh, another question, how did you get the name painted on so quickly?”  
“That would be Jose’s doing. Once he knew the name of the yacht last night, he started painting the tenders. It is one of the things he learned while we were at sea. He is really good at it, as you can see.”  
“Yes, he is. I will have to remember to thank him, later.” I can see Ash and Amelia coming down the walkway to the beach now. We beach the tender about the same time that Ash and Amelia make it down to the beach. I help Reed secure the boat before walking to meet them.  
I wave as I walk towards them. “Good afternoon, Ash, Amelia.”  
Ash says, “Um…Lexa, what the hell is going on?”  
“I will explain everything over lunch. Come on.” I turn and start toward Reed and the tender. I glance back to see that they are following me. Reed is standing by the ladder awaiting our arrival. I look at Ash and Amelia and say, “Ash, Amelia, this is Reed. He will be taking us back to the Untouchable Stryker. Once we are aboard, he will show us to the dining area where we will have lunch on deck and talk. I promise I will explain everything and answer all your questions.”  
Ash looks at Reed and says, “Hey, don’t I know you?”  
He smiles and says, “I wasn’t sure you would remember me or not. Yes, I was at the battle of the valley and on the mission where you were captured by Omar. I’m glad to see that you are okay and out of your coma.”  
Ash says, “Thanks, but how…”  
I say, “Ash I will explain on the ride to the yacht. Now everyone aboard.”  
Once aboard the tender, Reed pushed us off and then headed toward the Untouchable. On the short ride, I explained what I had learned earlier this morning about how Reed and Jose made it to the US. I also asked Ash and Amelia if they could help me figure out a way to help Jose. They both said they would make some calls after getting more information from Jose.  
We docked the tender and followed Reed up to the deck, where we found a table set with plates and glasses of water. Before we could even get seated, Patrona was asking, “Ms. Trikru…”  
I interrupt, “Patrona, I thought we covered this, this morning. My name is Lexa, and this is my friend Ashley Fletcher and her mother, Amelia Fletcher.”  
“Sorry, Ms…I mean Lexa. It is nice to meet you Ms. Ashley and Ms. Fletcher. What will you all be having to drink?”  
I answer, “I think we will start with a round of mimosa’s, Petrona.”  
She nods and turns and leaves. “Before either of you say anything, what would you like to eat. I told them that we would probably just want something lite, like sandwiches but I’m sure we can order anything you want, just let me know.”  
Amelia smiles at me and says, “Thank you, Lexa. I think I will just have a salad with some grilled chicken.”  
Ash says, “Fine, I will play along, I will take a turkey sandwich.”  
I nod, Patrona comes back with our drinks and I give her our order and she says she will have it out shortly. As soon as she is gone, I look at both of them and say, “I know that you are both dying to know what is going on and I’m going to tell you, but I need for you to hear me out and not get mad. I also need you both to promise not to tell Bellamy Blake anything, understand?”  
Ash says, “Lexa I need to know what is going on before I make that promise.”  
“Ash, you once told me that you trust me completely. Is that still true?”  
She shakes her head and says, “Yes, I trust you completely.”  
“Alright, then trust me not to ask you to do something you would be opposed to. It has nothing to do with me, but Octavia. She’s not in trouble or anything she just wants the opportunity to tell him herself. So, can you both promise me?”  
They both say, “Yes.” Patrona sits our food in front of us and asks if there is anything else, she can get us.  
Ash speaks up, “For some reason, I think that I am going to need something stronger than this mimosa. Can you bring out a pitcher of margaritas, please?”  
“Sure thing, Ms. Ashley!”  
“Thank you, and could you also just call me Ash.”  
Patrona looks to me and I nod, and she walks away. About two minutes later, she sits a pitcher of margaritas on the table. I thank her and she tells me she will check back with us later. Now it is Amelia’s turn, “Okay, Lexa, start talking and make it from the beginning.”  
I laugh and say, “Alright, so you both know that I have been spending a lot of time with Octavia and her friends. Well, come to find out, O has been fighting in an underground fight club for some time now and she had a fight last night. I ask…”  
Ash interrupts, “What do you mean an underground fight club?”  
“I’m getting there. Apparently, there are these types of clubs all over the world. The fights are held in underground locations because they are unsanctioned therefore technically illegal. Before you say anything, they are completely safe, or as safe as fights can be. The rules are the same as the rules for the UFC fights and they have refs and everything. Anyway, I asked Octavia if she could get me in to fight and I entered a tournament that was held yesterday. As you can see, I am fine so don’t freak out. Turns out that there wasn’t really much competition for me, and I won the tournament.”  
Amelia says, “Lexa, I don’t know that I am really comfortable with you fighting in an underground fight club, but I’m glad that you did well.”  
Ash says, “Lexa, I’m with mom on this but as I said before, I trust you, so if you think you can handle it then I believe you. I would like to know what a fight club has to do with this boat, though.”  
“So, the guy that runs the fights here in San Francisco, Micky, lost the boat to me in a bet. The Untouchable Stryker and everything on her belongs to me now, along with a good amount of money in my bank account.”  
Ash looks at her mom and then me and says, “What the hell are you talking about?”  
I spend the next half hour explaining to them about how I used the money I took from Omar and placed a series of bets on myself to win the tournament and then how I made a side bet with Micky and won this yacht. Amelia didn’t seem incredibly happy about the fighting or the betting but said that she has seen me in action and knows that I can take care of myself. Ash on the other hand was more upset about me placing the bets. She said she doesn’t want me to get carried away and lose all my money or get addicted to gambling. I tried to assure her that I wouldn’t, but I don’t think she believes me. So, I say, “Ash, if it will make you feel better, I promise not to make any more bets. Besides, I don’t really need to with the amount of money I made last night, I should be set for life. Although, I am going to continue to fight but not for the money just for the fun.”  
Ash says, “Lexa, exactly how much money did you make last night? Also, I appreciate you promising me not to make any more bets, but I trust you. Just don’t make any stupid bets, okay.”  
“Thanks, Ash, that means a lot to me and I only bet on sure things. As for the money, let me pull up my account. Give me a sec.” I log into my account and say, “I made close to 54 million plus the yacht.”  
Ash said, “You have got to be fucking kidding me?”  
Amelia says, “Lexa honey, are you serious?”  
I just turn my phone toward them so that they see my account. They look at each other and then back to me. Ash says, “Babe, how did you…what are you going to do now?”  
“I was hoping that you and Amelia could help me with that. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. It started off as one bet of $250,000 on me to win the tournament, then people kept telling me I couldn’t do it, so I had to prove them wrong which led to more bets. The way I looked at it, I could prove them all wrong and make enough money so that we never had to work again. I knew that I could win because none of them have been through what I have, that’s when I made the side bet with Mickey. Ash what I realized last night is that I was born to be a fighter and although it didn’t start out as being my choice, it is now, and I enjoy fighting. I don’t need to anymore, but it is what I want to do.”  
Ash says, “Babe, slow down. If you want to fight, why don’t you do it legally? I mean you have been offered a spot on the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter, why not take that if you want to fight?”  
“Ash, if I did the Ultimate Fighter or the UFC, I wouldn’t have a choice in when or who I fought. I would have to do what someone else told me to and I don’t want that. I have spent my whole life doing what someone else tells me to do, with Mickey I get the choice of who or if I fight.”  
“I understand babe, I do. If this is what you want, I will support you. Mom, can you help me open an account for Lexa in the Cayman’s?”  
“Sure, honey.”  
“Thank you both for hearing me out and understanding. I never thought I could be in a position to support myself much less have any of this. It means the world to me that I have the two of you, I don’t know where I would be without you. Now would you like to take a tour of my new place.”  
Ash looks at me and says, “Wait, does this mean you are moving out?”  
Amelia says, “This is why you called me earlier and asked me about anchoring here. You want your own space, but you want to stay close to Ash.”  
“Yes, to both. Ash, I want to be close to you, but I don’t want to have to worry about running into Callie or Asher like I did on Friday. I know they are a part of your life, but it was so awkward, you know. Baby, I love you and that will never change, but I just feel like this is for the best. Do you understand?”  
Ash looks at me sadly and says, “Babe, I do understand but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.”  
“Ash, you can come and go as you want. I will leave one of the inflatable tenders on the beach so that you can come out whenever you want, even if I’m not here. Now come on Reed and Jose are going to take us on a tour. I haven’t even seen the entire ship yet.”  
For the next hour, the three of us follow Reed and Jose around the ship. As we tour the ship, I talk with Ash and Amelia about what I should do about the crew, my money and everything in between. Ash and I come up with a plan for the crew and Amelia says she will help me with investing my money. Once the tour is over, Amelia looks at us and says, “I think I will head back to the house and let you two have some alone time. I think you have a lot more to discuss. Lexa thanks for lunch and the tour. Please be careful fighting and know that you are always welcome in my home.”  
I give her a hug goodbye and ask Reed if he will take her back to shore and when he returns to inform the Captain that I would like for him to have all the crew on deck a two o’clock. I then turn to Ash and say, “So, once we take care of the meeting with the Captain and crew, what would you like to do today? Do you want to play with the boats or jet skis, or would you rather go shopping?”  
She snaps her head at me and says, “Did I just hear you right? Did you say that you are willing to go shopping? I thought you hated to shop?”  
I laugh at her, “I do hate to shop, but I know you like to so, if that is what you want to do it’s fine with me. Besides, traffic around here is crazy. I think I want to buy a motorcycle so that I can just zip in between the traffic and I need to pick some things up for my room. I mean it’s nice, but I want to add my personal touch to it. We have dinner at nine but other than the meeting with the crew, the rest of the day is yours to decide.”  
Ash says, “I’m not passing up a chance to shop, so I say we go shopping since it is already late in the day. Maybe we can spend some time on the jet skis and stuff tomorrow. Do you even know how to ride them?”  
“No, I was hoping you could show me how to use everything. If we are going shopping, can you come and help me decide what to do with my space?”  
I take her down to my space and give her a more in-depth tour. I tell Ash that I don’t need the his and her dressing room or the beauty room. I express to her that I want to turn the beauty room into a walking closet and the dressing rooms into a training room with mats, punching bags, etc. Then I look at her and ask, “I have a question for you about where you would like to stay when you are aboard. Would you prefer to stay in one of the suites or if I turn the office into a bedroom would you sleep there? I could even turn the studio into a kid’s room for Asher.”  
She replies, “I can’t believe you are willing to do that. I would definitely rather be as close to you as I can so I think it would be amazing if you would create a space for Asher and me in your area.”  
“Great consider it done. Do you know anyone that could make these changes?”  
“Actually, I think I do. I will give them a call, but right now we need to go meet with Captain Miguel.”


	20. Lexa

Ash and I go to the helm to meet with Captain Miguel. When we arrive, I begin to ask questions about how the ship runs, how many people it takes, etc. I then ask him if he would be willing to be a live-in crew member since I will be using this as my residence there is no telling when I might want to go somewhere without the full crew. I inform him that the only time I will probably use the full crew is for parties or if I decide to take friends out overnight.  
Captain Miguel informed me that he did not want to be a live-in crew member because he has a family. He says that Mickey never used the boat much so that was perfect for him. He went on to say that he could stay on until I found someone else and he could recommend a few candidates. I asked, “Is running this ship something that Reed or Jose can handle?”   
Captain says, “Neither of them have any real experience navigating or steering without supervision but both of them are squared away so, I feel pretty comfortable saying that I can teach them what they need to know. If that’s what you want, I can stay on for a month or so and teach them everything they need to know. What about the rest of the crew, what are your plans for them?”   
“I plan on keeping everyone in some capacity or another if they want to stay on, that’s why I want to have the meeting. I want to let everyone know that I don’t plan on getting rid of anyone unless they don’t to want to accommodate what I need. Now where are we meeting?”  
He tells us to follow him to the bow of the boat to the helipad. As we approach the helipad, I notice a helicopter approaching. I turn to the Captain and ask, “What is that?”  
He replies, “That is an Airbus C175 flown by Morrigan, the newest member of the crew. Mickey just hired her; we haven’t even met her. The bus was in the shop for maintenance, but everything checked out and Morrigan wanted to be here for the crew meeting.”  
I look at Ash and she shrugs her shoulders. I say, “So…the chopper comes with the ship?”  
Captain Miguel says, “Yes, did Mickey not tell you anything about the yacht?”  
“All he told me was he took it in the divorce to piss off his ex-wife, he never uses it and that you would answer all of my questions.”  
He just shakes his head and laughs, “Ok then, if you want Reed and/or Jose to become Captain, I suggest Reed as Captain and Jose as Junior Captain. Reed has a better understanding of everything and honestly, I think Jose is too quiet to be a leader. I will stay on for a while and make sure they know everything. As for the rest of the crew, I suggest explaining to them how you are planning on using the ship and the crew. Then let them decide what they feel is best for them. Okay, are you ready? I’m going to introduce you again and then let you take it from there.”  
I look at Ash and she smiles; I just nod yes to the Captain. He introduces me to the crew once again and then tells them that I have some announcements about how I want to proceed in running the day-to-day activities of the yacht. As he finishes, I suddenly become extremely nervous. I’m not used to speaking to people especially in large groups. I just stand there looking at all the people and can’t help but think that I am now in charge of all of them. My brain begins spinning out of control with thoughts of how inexperienced I am at everything. How am I supposed to manage all these people? The thoughts just keep coming so fast that I can’t think straight. Then I feel a hand on my lower back and instantly my nerves calm down. I know just from the touch, that it is Ash. She always knows what I need.   
I clear my throat and notice everyone staring expectantly at me. I say, “First I would like to say hello to everyone and put you at ease by saying that I have no intentions of letting anyone go. As you can see, I am young and have never owned a yacht before. That being said, I will need lots of help to figure out the best way for all of us to work together so please don’t hesitate to ask questions or give suggestions.”  
I look at Ash and introduce her, “This is Commander Ashley Fletcher, also known at Ash. She is a good friend of mine and will be around a lot so everyone should get to know her as well. I know everyone is waiting on me to tell you what I want, so here it is. I am going to be using the yacht, which I have named, The Untouchable Stryker, as a home. I foresee occasionally taking her on longer trips, but mostly I will use her as a home that will either be docked at the slip or anchored here. Therefore, I will not require a full crew at all times, which I assume is the same as Mickey. Let me tell you what I’m thinking and then you can ask me any questions you have. In talking with the Captain and a few of the crew members, I have what I think is a good list of staff that I would like to be live-in staff. If you are one of these members and prefer not to live aboard, please let me know so that I can fill this position with someone willing to live aboard. I realize that everyone isn’t able to stay aboard 24-7 because of families and what not but I’m sure out of all of you there is at least one person from each of these job duties that is able to do so.”  
I take a quick look around to make sure everyone is still listening then I continue, “Now Captain Miguel has said that he can’t continue as Captain because I prefer to have my Captain living aboard the ship in case I decide to go somewhere on the spur of the moment. We have talked and have decided that he will stay aboard long enough to make sure that your new Captain, Reed can handle everything sufficiently. I feel confident that Reed with the help of Junior Captain/Purser, Jose, will be able to handle anything. For those of you that don’t know, Reed, Jose, Ash, and myself all served together in Afghanistan, so I trust those three with my life.”  
I look over at Reed and Jose and see a look of surprise on both their faces. I guess maybe I should have warned them first, but oh well. “I know from talking to Petronia earlier that there are four others beside Reed and Jose that already live aboard. As I understand it Petronia is one and she serves as Chef Stewardess/Caretaker, Stefania who is a message therapist, Logan is the trainer/dive instructor, and Lora is the Medic. I would very much like you all to stay on in the same capacity. In addition, I would like a Chief Mate, Head of Maintenance, two Deckhands, a Chief Engineer, and Electronics engineer that can also stay aboard as live-in positions. Other than those positions, the rest will continue in the same capacity as it has been in the past with Mickey, except for the hospitality crew. I expect the hospitality crew to be aboard on Friday’s no later than three o’clock and expect to stay until Sunday at noon. As for everyone else, Reed…I mean Captain Reed will let you know in advance when you are needed. I will keep everyone’s pay the same as it has been for now. Thank you everyone for everything and I hope to get to know everyone soon. Now if those of you who live aboard will you stay along with those in the position’s I listed that I want to live aboard also. Are there any questions?”  
One person raised her hand, so I pointed and say, “Yes, what is your question and what is your name and position aboard the boat?”  
She replies, “My name is Morrigan Gallow and I am the new chopper pilot. I was wondering if it would be possible to live aboard while I find a place to stay. I am new to this area and just flew in today.”  
“It is nice to meet you Morrigan. It is okay for me to call you Morrigan? Any way just hang around and we can talk. Now are there any other questions?” No one else raised their hand so I say, “Alright then everyone is free to go. If you think of anything, please get in touch with either Reed or me. I will get everyone’s phone number from Reed and send out a group text containing my number that way everyone has my contact info. Oh, and we will be returning to the slip shortly in order for everyone to disembark and then we will return to this location to anchor for the foreseeable future. Again, thank you and I look forward to getting to know everyone. Okay, I think that is all.”  
A few people stayed behind to shake my hand and introduce themselves to me. Once I was finished with that, I was left with those that already live aboard, Morrigan and those that are in the positions that I would like to live aboard. I looked at everyone and say, “Why don’t we all move to the outdoor dining area so that we can talk.”  
As we walked, I say, “Ash, I am really sorry about all of this. I really wanted to just spend the day with you, but I needed to get this taken care of and I wanted you here for support. I will make it up to you tomorrow if you are free. We can get up early and go shopping and then if we have time you can teach me how to drive the speed boat and jet ski. How does that sound?”  
She replies, “Lexa it’s okay, I understand. As far as tomorrow that sounds good. Now let’s get this over with so we can enjoy the ride to the docks for the crew to disembark. We can sit downstairs by the fire pit and have a few drinks and just relax and catch up.”  
I nod and we sit at the table with the group of crew members. I look around and say, “Ok, how about we go around the table and you say your name and what your position is and then let me know if you are able to stay on or not?”  
Everyone nods yes in agreement. I point to an older gentleman sitting directly to my right and ask if he will start. He says, “My name is Vahagn Boghossian and I am the Chief Engineer and I have no problem moving onboard.” Next was a young woman with freckles, “My name is Molly Potts, and I am an Engineer/Electronics Engineer, and I will gladly move aboard.”  
I continued to go around the table until everyone had agreed to come live aboard. I look around the table and think that it looks like these are good people, but I should probably get to know them better and ask them about their rooms. I say, “Now let’s talk accommodations, I know that from what I have seen the crew quarters are fairly small. I feel like if you all are going to be living aboard full time, you need to be comfortable. I am going to be make a few changes to my quarters, so I was thinking that I would have the designer look at the crew quarters as well and make yours larger. I will also have them talk to each of you about what you want or need in your area. That being said, are there any other concerns that you have about moving aboard?”  
Logan speaks up, “Um…ma’am…would it be possible for Lora and me to share quarters?”  
“First, I need everyone to call me Lexa not ma’am or Ms. Second, yes that will be fine with me as long as your relationship doesn’t interfere with your jobs. I don’t want any drama if it can be avoided. Thirdly, how about we schedule a get together so we can all get to know one another better. I provide lunch and drinks. It will be a small party for us and a couple of my friends that will be aboard frequently. Any other questions?”  
Morrigan says, “I guess you know that I am new, so I have a few questions about my job duties. Should I ask you or the Captain about those?”  
“It would probably be best to ask the Captain because like you I am new to the boat, but I look forward to working with all of you. It is my hope that since we will all be living together that we will eventually feel more like a family than anything else. So, if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask. Now if there aren’t any more questions, you are free to go. As I said earlier, we will head back to the dock in about twenty minutes to unload those not living aboard. I understand that those of you who are moving aboard will need some time to get your things in order so take your time. The Untouchable will be docked in the slip for a while so you all can come and go as you please with your stuff.”  
After everyone gets up and leaves, I look over at Ash and say, “Would you stay the night? You can have one of the suites or you can take my bed and I will stay on the couch. I just want to spend some time with you, and I had to take care of all of this and…I would just really like it if you would stay. We can get an early start tomorrow on shopping and…”   
She interrupts my rambling, “Lexa, I would love to stay. If it were up to me, I would spend every night with you. Unfortunately, things are complicated but yes, I will stay tonight. Why don’t we go and get your things and I will grab an overnight bag before the ship heads to the dock.”  
“That sounds amazing! I will get Jose to take us to shore on one of the tenders.”  
“Lexa, I can drive any of the tenders or the chopper. Remember, I’m a Navy Seal. I can drive and fly most things.”  
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Let’s go then. I will just let Reed know not to leave without us.”


	21. Ash

I can’t believe that Lexa now owns a super yacht. I’m not sure that I like how she came into possession of it, but I trust her. I know she is young and doesn’t know a lot about how to interact with people, but one thing she does know how to do is fight. So, if she says this fight club or whatever is legit, well except for it being unsanctioned, I believe her. She would never lie to me outright so I’m going to let her do what she wants as long as I can go and check it out.  
I am a little concerned about her betting, but at the same time, she has only bet on herself. I can’t fault her for that, I mean she knows what she is doing when it comes to fighting. After we ate lunch with my mother on deck, Reed took us for a tour of the ship. I couldn’t believe out of all the people in the world we ended up seeing Reed and Jose again. Don’t get me wrong it is great because I know that I can trust them after everything they did to help Lexa. It is absolutely amazing that the ended up working on the boat that she won. What are the odds?  
Once mom leaves, I think that we are finally going to get to be alone together for a while, but it turns out that Lexa has some business to attend to and she wants me to help her with it. We spend the next couple of hours meeting with the crew and figuring out how best to accommodate what she has planned for the ship and the crew. It turns out that she didn’t really need me here after all, she seems to know exactly what she is doing. I shouldn’t be surprised at this because she did come up with and lead a tactical mission that took down an entire Taliban cell, but it is a little surprising she is so good with people.  
Once we are finally done with all of the meetings, she turns to me and asks if I would stay the night. She is so cute when she is unsure of herself. She starts rambling about the sleeping arrangements and how if I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the same room with her, I could use one of the suites. I couldn’t help but laugh at her. I wish to God everything wasn’t so complicated right now. I want nothing more than to be able to plan my proposal to this amazing woman, but I can’t. I promised Callie I would give her a chance. I know Lexa says she understands, but I’m not really sure she does. I mean hell, I really don’t understand.  
I have to admit though that I did have a good time yesterday with Callie and Asher. There were times when being with them felt right, like it was where I was supposed to be. It was like the last six years just disappeared and I forgot for a split second everything that has happened between Callie and me. It was like we just fit together, but then something would remind me of Lexa, and I would remember how well we fit together. How can it be that two people that are so completely opposite one another both feel right to me? I really need to get my mind right before I make any major decisions.  
I hear Lexa clear her throat and she says, “Ash, are you okay? I mean if this is too much for you just let me know. I don’t want to make things worse for you, I just want to spend time with you. I have been so busy this past few weeks with Octavia and all her or our friends that I feel like I haven’t seen you in a year.”  
I say, “I’m fine, really. I was just thinking about how well you are handling all of your new responsibilities, that’s all. I’m glad that you are making friends, but I am a little jealous that I haven’t seen you that much.”  
She smiles, “I’m glad to hear that you miss me. I thought you might forget about me since you have Callie and Asher to keep you company.”  
“What? Are you kidding? I could never forget about you. Yes, I have been spending time with them and I’m not going to lie to you. Sometimes, I feel like the last few years just melt away and I forget all the bad things that happened between me and Callie because Asher will do something cute and I feel like my heart is going to explode with happiness but then I think, man I wish Lexa were here to see this. I know this is hard for you but just know that it is for me as well.”  
“I know. I wanted you to be there last night so bad when I was fighting the Championship fight and then after, all I could think about was how bad I wanted to call you and have you come celebrate with me. But I knew you were with them and I didn’t want to interrupt your time with them.”  
I smile and say, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there last night but I’m sure you caught the attention of more than one female. They would be crazy not to want to be with you and I want you to know that you are free to date or whatever. I won’t like it but it’s not fair to you to have to wait on me. I also would like it very much if I could come to your next fight.”  
She turns red and looks at her feet, which is a sure sign that something happened she doesn’t want to tell me. I look at her and say, “What is it Lexa? You know you can talk to me.”  
She continues to look at her feet but says, “Well, there was this one girl…I met her the other night at that country line dancing place, but she acted like she didn’t want anything to do with me. Then last night, she came up and wanted to buy me a drink between fights, so I let her. We talked a little and then after my next fight, she ran into the cage and jumped into my arms and kissed me. It just happened.”  
I’m not going to lie, it felt like she had just punched me in the gut. I couldn’t breathe for a split second even though I just told her it was okay; I was really hoping she would just wait on me. Once I regained my composure, I looked up at her and she had a tear running down her cheek. I couldn’t help myself, I stepped closer and used my thumb to wipe it away. I said, “Lexa, it’s okay, you have nothing to feel guilty about. I’m the one who said I needed time and I don’t expect you to just wait around. You are young and now that you are free to do what you want you should do exactly that. Experiment, have fun but babe never feel guilty about any of it.”  
“That’s the problem, Ash, I didn’t feel guilty in that moment. It felt good to be wanted and I kissed her back and it felt amazing. Different than kissing you but still amazing. Then after the Championship match, we kissed again but then she ghosted me at the party. Never even showed up. As if I weren’t already confused, but I couldn’t blame her because after the fights all I could think about was talking or seeing you.”  
“Lexa promise me that you will not just sit and wait on me.”  
“Ash there is something else I feel like I should tell you.”  
“What is it, Lexa? You can tell me anything.”  
“Well…it’s…um…this morning I woke up with someone in bed with me, but I don’t remember anything about what happened. All I remember is that I was pissed that Allie didn’t show up and then I knew I couldn’t call you…so O and I just drank and danced.”  
I really wasn’t expecting to hear that, and I don’t really know what to say other than, “It’s okay, sometimes things happen but you need to be careful and not let this become a habit. But at the same time, I need you to go with your gut feeling. If you like someone see where it goes, but at the same time I still want to be able to spend time with you. We will have to figure out everything together. I mean how far we want to take being together. I mean, I want you so badly right now, but I don’t want to confuse things more so maybe we should take things slow. Now I’m rambling but I don’t know how to do this.”  
“I don’t either, Ash. How about this, we promise to always be honest with one another when one of us asks about what we do with other people. I know that sounds crazy and I really don’t want to know what you do with others but at the same time if I ask, I want the truth, you know. I just want us to be honest with one another even if it hurts. Is that crazy?”  
“Sort of, but I know what you mean. We do need to communicate, and I promise to always tell you what you want to know. Now let’s go grab your stuff so we can get back on board in time to see the sunset as we cruise back to the docks.”  
“That sounds good. I promise to tell you also. I will text O and tell her to meet us in the morning with the jeep at the dock so we will have a way to go shopping tomorrow. I really do want to see about a motorcycle.”  
As we head to the house, I can’t help but think that I’m glad we talked about things, but it did really hurt when she told me she had kissed someone else and liked it and I’m really surprised that she apparently slept with someone last night. I wonder if that is the only time or have there been more since we got to California. I guess I could ask but…I’m not sure why it surprised me though. I mean she is an amazing person and extremely beautiful. It would be stupid of me to think that she wouldn’t have plenty of chances to experiment or even fall in love. I really need to be realistic with myself, if I keep her waiting too long, she will find someone else. I can’t think like that though, it’s like mom and Abby said, ‘if it is meant to be then it will, no matter what gets in the way.’


	22. Lexa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mature scene

Once we make it to shore and up to the house, Ash and I go our separate ways to get what we need. Luckily, I haven’t really unpacked so I don’t have much to throw in my bag. It’s not like I own that much anyway and most of it is the clothes we bought in Dubai. Now that was an amazing trip. I had so much fun even when Ash made me go shopping. Maybe Octavia and I need to take a trip on the yacht somewhere. That reminds me, I send her a quick text about the jeep.  
While I wait on Ash, I call Reed and tell him to set up a candlelight dinner down near the fire pit and have a nice bottle of wine chilling on the table. I want it to be romantic so we can eat and watch the sunset. Then after dinner we are just going to hang out and she is going to stay the night so we can go shopping tomorrow. He laughs at me and says, “You know you don’t have to tell me everything you do, right? I just need to know what you need while you are on the ship. I’m not your parent so I don’t have to know your every movement.”  
I laugh, “Sorry, I’m new to all of this and I don’t really know what I’m doing, especially with Ash. We will have to sit and talk sometime so I can explain everything and get your thoughts. We should be back to the boat shortly.”  
As I sit waiting for Ash, my phone beeps with at text message. When I look at it, the message is from Allie.  
Allie: Hey, sorry I missed the party last night. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow night?  
Shit! I completely forgot about dinner with her after she was a no show at the party and I already made plans with Ash. Crap, what should I do?  
Me: Um, about that I made other plans since you ghosted me last night. Sorry, can I get a rain check?  
Allie: Oh, yeah sure. Sorry, I should have at least text you about the party. I had a family issue that I had to deal with. I will explain when I see you. I’m really sorry you thought that I ghosted you. I am really looking forward to dinner with you.  
Me: I understand but a text would have been nice. I thought you were just blowing me off. How about you pick me up at six on Tuesday from the dock and we can go wherever you want?  
Allie: Sounds good. See you then and dress nice. I’m taking you to a nice dinner and then dancing. My treat to make up for last night.  
Me: Ok, but that isn’t necessary.   
Allie: I insist, see you at six.  
When I look up, I notice Ash standing there with her backpack. “Sorry, you ready?”  
She says, “Yes, is everything okay?”  
“Oh yeah, everything is fine. That was that girl Allie I told you about. I forgot I told her we would grab dinner tomorrow night. It’s no big deal.”  
Ash says, “Lexa if you have plans, we can go shopping some other time.”  
“Nope, I told her that I made other plans since she ghosted me last night. She apologized for not sending me a text and said she had some sort of family drama. I just said that we could go to dinner on Tuesday instead. I want to spend time with you! She can wait. Now let’s get back to the boat before we miss sunset. The chef should have dinner just about ready.”  
We get back to my room and throw our bags in one of the closets. I can unpack later, right now I want to spend some quality time with Ash. I lead her outside to the firepit where Reed has done an amazing job. He has taken the large dining table out and put up a small table for two. There is a bottle of wine in ice and candles on the table. There is nice slow music playing and he has left a rose for me to give to Ash. I take the rose and pull-out Ash’s chair for her, then hand her the rose and give her a kiss on the cheek.  
Before I sit down, I open the wine and pour us both a glass. It isn’t long before Patrona came with the appetizers. She said, “Ms.…I mean Lexa to start you off tonight we have bacon wrapped jalapeños and roasted parmesan garlic shrimp. Would either of you like a salad as well or just the main course?”  
I looked at Ash and she shook her head no, so I said, “I think we will be fine with these and then just the main course. Thank you, Patrona.”  
When she left, I asked Ash, “How did things go yesterday with Callie and Asher?”  
She replies, “Fine, Asher is an amazing kid and apparently he has fallen in love with you. He made us take him to see the black panthers and the other big cats and ask me why ‘Xa’ likes the black panthers more than the lions and bears. Then he proceeded to ask me when he could have a play date with you.”  
I laughed, “I bet Callie really liked that! He seems to be a good kid from what I saw of him. He is cute, I’ll give him that.”  
“Yeah, he is. Just so you know, nothing happened between me and Callie. We just went to the zoo, out for dinner and ice cream. Then we went back to the house and hung out for a while and just talked.”  
“Ash, that’s not why I asked. I just wanted to know how you and Asher are getting along and how your day was. I mean, I already told you about my day. I spent the day at the fights, which was really fun, and I made a lot of money. However, I don’t think I will fight in the tournaments anymore. I want more competition; the tournament fights were too easy. You know Octavia is a really good fighter also. I just don’t know how Blake is going to feel about it. So, what is the deal with the cookout?”  
“You know, I’m not completely sure. Mom is insisting on having a big shindig and inviting everyone we know. If it were up to me, which obviously it isn’t, we wouldn’t have it. I really don’t care to see most of the people she is inviting, and I really just don’t feel like being around a bunch of people that I haven’t seen or talked to in over three years. I do have a surprise for you though. Raquel and Tecia are going to be in LA in a few weeks for the UFC fight at the Staple Center and they sent us some tickets to the fights. They are also going to come to the cookout.”  
“Seriously? That is amazing. I have an idea why don’t we take the chopper down to LA and then they can ride back with us and stay here on the yacht. Do you think they would want to do that? I bet O would love to go to the fights if there are enough tickets.”  
Ash says, “I don’t know but I can text them and ask if they would want to do that. I have five tickets to the fights, so you can bring Octavia. I was going to ask you if it would be okay if I brought Asher if Callie will let him come, which she might not and if she does, she may say she has to come as well. Would you be okay with that?”  
“Sure, I don’t have a problem with it, but isn’t the fights a little violent for a seven-year-old?”  
“Probably, but I think it would be fun to take him. I don’t know. I just feel like I have missed so much of his life even though I didn’t even know about him.”  
“I know and I’m sorry. It is fine with me if he goes or if they both go. Maybe one day if Callie doesn’t mind you can bring him to the yacht, and we can take him on the jet ski or boat. I have floats that you can pull behind the boat or jet ski he can ride.”  
“That would be awesome! Are you sure you don’t mind?”  
“Ash, I told you, I want us to have a relationship even if it isn’t a romantic one. I still want to get to know your son and hopefully one day you will find your way back to me. Now that is all I’m going to say about that. Let’s enjoy our meal and the beautiful sunset.”  
For the next hour, we ate our dinner and watched the sunset. Then I asked her to dance. I can’t begin to describe how it feels to have her in my arms again. It just makes everything feel right. I could hold her and dance with her until the end of time. We dance for a while and then sit by the fire and just talk about anything and everything. She tells me where she wants to go shopping and I tell her what I am thinking about how to make the place feel like home. She text a friend of hers that is an interior designer and set up an appointment for first thing in the morning so that we could talk about what I wanted to change in my area and then Lauren could talk to the full-time crew and get a feel for what they wanted and needed.  
It was getting late, but I wasn’t ready for the night to end just yet and magically our song came on. I don’t know how because I haven’t told anybody about it but here it is playing at just the right time. I get up and hold out my hand, she takes it, and we begin to dance. I can’t help but look in her eyes and sing the chorus when it comes on. When the song is over, I just stand there looking into her Caribbean blue eyes and I get lost in the moment. Before I know what, I am doing, I lean in and brush my lips against hers. It starts out as a sensual kiss, one that is like coming home after a long time. It is soft and moist, and I run my tongue across her lips asking if this is okay. She opens up for me and the kiss soon becomes hot and breathy. It isn’t a battle for dominance like it was with Allie. I was not trying to win but I was seeking that long-lost union and closeness we had once shared. I was seeking one more timeless and passionate moment with the love of my life because I didn’t know when or if I would have another chance to kiss her like this. I need her to know how I feel. I finally broke the kiss and just stared into her eyes, which were now a dark blue full of passion and lust.  
I say, “I’m sorry, I just got carried away in the moment. I didn’t mean to…” Before I could finish my sentence, her lips crashed into mine and her hands became tangled in my short hair. I couldn’t help but smile into her mouth and let out a moan. Once she heard my moan she reached down and grabbed my butt cheeks and picked me up. My legs instinctively wrapped around her waist, never breaking the kiss. She starts carrying me toward the door to my room. I have to admit that I was soaking wet and ready for her. She has never picked me up like this before, I am usually the aggressor. Not this time, she pulled away from my lips and I thought that was going to be the end. I thought she had changed her mind, but I was wrong. She started kiss my neck and then nipped my ear, which elicits another moan from me. I swear I am going to cum before she even gets me to the bed. My clit is so hard already that just the movement from her walking me down the hall has me so close it hurts.  
I say, “Ash, babe, I’m so close I don’t think I could stop if I wanted too, but are you sure this is what you want?”  
She pulls away just enough to look me in the eyes and says, “Lexa there are so many reasons why we shouldn’t, but right now all I want to do is have my way with you. Is that okay with you?”  
“Only if I can return the favor and have my way with you!”  
She laughs and throws me onto my bed. We spend the rest of the night tangled up in each other. It was amazing! Not once did I think about anything or anyone other than Ash. When we were both totally spent, she lay her head on my naked chest and I wrapped my arms around her and begin drawing circles on her back with my fingers. I looked down at her and say, “I know we never decided on the sleeping arrangements for tonight, but I was kinda hoping you would stay right where you are. Unless of course sleeping with me makes you uncomfortable.”  
She looks up at me with those beautiful blue eyes and says, “Are you planning on sleeping? I thought we were just catching our breaths!”


	23. Ash

Once again, Lexa has pulled out all the stops for me. I can’t believe how romantic she can be. No one I have ever been with makes me feel the way she does. It is like time stops when it is just the two of us and there is no one else in the world. I wish that were the case, then things wouldn’t be so complicated. We have an amazing dinner while watching the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge. Everything is perfect. We dance and talk until it is getting late.  
Suddenly our song starts to play, and we dance. Lexa stops dancing and looks me in the eyes and begins to sing, ‘I wonder why it is/I don’t argue like this/with anyone but you/I wonder why it is/I won’t let my guard down/For anyone but you/We do it all the time/Blowing out my mind/You’ve got this look I can’t describe/ You make me like I’m alive/When everything else is au fait/Without a doubt you’re on my side/Heaven has been away too long/Can’t find the words to write this song/Oh…Your love.’ As she sings to me, I think about everything we have been through and how being here in her arms feels like home to me. I don’t know how to explain it but just being around her makes me feel at home, like everything is right in the world and nothing can hurt us as long as we are together.  
When the song ends, she looks me in the eyes and leans in to kiss me. As soon as our lips meet, it’s like my body takes over. It’s like my body recognizes her and reacts without me thinking about it. I pick her up and start to carry her to the bedroom. Lexa being Lexa and always overthinking things breaks the kiss and asks me if I am sure this is what I want. I just laugh and tell her that I want to have my way with her if that is alright with her.  
We spend the rest of the night and most of the early morning having our way with each other until we are both so tired, we fall asleep in each other’s arms. I wake up with my head on Lexa’s naked chest, with her staring at me. I look up and smile, “Good morning sunshine. Whatcha doing?”  
She smiles down at me and says, “Good morning beautiful. I was just watching you sleep and thinking about how wonderful last night was.”  
Suddenly, we hear a light knock on the bedroom door. I look at Lexa with a questioning look and she just shrugs and gets up. She quickly throws on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt before answering the door. I hear her say, “Good morning, Patrona. What can I do for you?” I hear Patrona answer, “I just thought that you and Ms. Ashley might like breakfast in bed, so I brought you some homemade waffles and cheese omelets with salsa on the side like you like.” Lexa says, “Thank you.”  
I hear the door shut and soon Lexa climbs back in bed with a tray of food. When I look at her cheeks are still pink from being embarrassed. I say, “What’s wrong, babe? You look like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar or something.”  
She laughs and says, “How did she know you were in here with me and how am I going to explain…”  
I can’t help but laugh at her, “Sweetie, you don’t have to explain anything. This is your boat, and they work for you.”  
“I know that but…I don’t know. I mean I introduced you as a good friend not my girlfriend because well, we weren’t supposed to be doing this, not that I didn’t enjoy it because I did. It is simply weird that’s all. I mean I guess I need to get used to everyone knowing my business because well…I guess there won’t be any secrets on this yacht. I guess we should eat and then get ready to meet your interior designer.”  
“Look, I understand what you mean. We are supposed to be taking a break to figure everything out, but I just couldn’t help myself. You make me feel whole, like I’m home and everything is perfect when I am in your arms. I feel like this is going to happen whenever we are alone together because you are…I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like as long as we aren’t in relationships with other people, we aren’t hurting anyone.”  
“Ash, I’m confused. Are you saying that what we did last night is okay to happen again? How are you going to figure out your feelings for Callie if you are still in my bed?”  
“What I’m saying is that I’m okay with it happening again if you are. As far as Callie, I will continue to spend time with her and see where it goes, and you are free to have fun with whomever you want. We just need to communicate with each other. I think the kids these days call it friends with benefits.”  
“Ok, but what if one of us starts a relationship with someone else. What happens then? And are you really going to give Callie a fair chance if you are still sleeping with me? Is she even going to…?”  
She interrupts me, “Look, we will figure it out as we go. All I know is last night was amazing and Callie doesn’t need to know. Now finish eating, I’m going to take a shower.”   
I get up and go to take a shower. I let the hot water beat down on me while I think. What in the hell are you doing? Did you seriously just tell Lexa that you wanted to be friends with benefits and that Callie doesn’t need to know? How am I going to figure things out if I keep running back to Lexa? How is she going to trust me if I’m telling her Callie doesn’t need to know? Maybe she is the answer! Maybe this is the universe and my conscious telling me that I need to be with her, but is that fair to her? I mean she is only 25 and hasn’t really experienced her freedom yet. I know she thinks that I am the one for her but how does she know? Will she even try to find out if I keep letting things like last night happen? I know I’m overthinking things, but everything is so complicated. I need to just go with the flow, go shopping with Lexa today and just see what happens but I do need to make it a point to try with Callie. At some point I do need to ask Callie about the fights, though. I will text her while Lexa gets ready.


	24. Lexa

While Ash showers, I can’t help but think about last night and how amazing it was. I really wasn’t expecting it to go the way it did, but I am definitely glad it did. It’s funny, I don’t think I even care what label Ash wants to give what we have, I just want to be with her. I know she expects me to see other people, but I don’t think that is what I want. Although, I’m afraid if I tell her that she won’t let it happen again. I should probably talk to O, maybe she can help me figure things out.  
I text her: ‘Hey, can you come over tonight and stay? I need to talk.’  
Octavia: ‘Sure, everything okay?’  
Me: ‘Yeah, just super confused.’  
Octavia: ‘Let me guess, Ash.’  
Me: ‘Is it that obvious?’  
Octavia: ‘Well, you were with her yesterday and are going shopping with her today…’  
Me: ‘Gotcha, see you in a bit? Hey why don’t you come on over? I have a meeting with an interior designer, and you should talk to her about your room.’  
Octavia: ‘Sure, be there in fifteen.’  
I take a quick shower once Ash is finished and then we head upstairs to meet Lauren and O. I let Reed know that Lauren will be aboard most of the day and she will need to talk to anyone who wants to make adjustments to their quarters. Once everyone arrives, we go out to the outdoor dining area and discuss everything. Patrona brings out mimosas for everyone and a tray of pastries. It is crazy how she does things without even being asked.  
I tell Lauren that price isn’t an issue and that I want everyone to be comfortable in their quarters. I inform her that a full crew is about 50 and that there will be twelve living aboard full time. I want the twelve to have plenty of space in their quarters and we just need to make sure there is enough room for the other 38 to sleep on the occasions they are needed. There are also twelve hospitality crew that will be aboard every weekend so I would like for them to have their own rooms. As far as the other 26 crew members they can bunk two to a room.  
“Here are the blueprints of the yacht with all the rooms available for the crew. Given these and the information I just told you, you should be able to see how much space you have to work with in order to give those living aboard more room. I would also like you to speak to each one of them and see what they need and want.”  
I look at O and say, “I know you haven’t spent much time in your space so while I show Lauren what I’m thinking about my quarters, why don’t you go on down and think about what you want or need. Again, don’t worry about price or space, if we need to, we can combine two of the suites to give you a bigger space. It just depends on what you want and how often you are going to be aboard. I know you were talking about buying your mom a new place, but I was actually hoping you might think about living here full time, but that is up to you.”  
She says, “Seriously? You wouldn’t mind? I mean I am going to get my mom a new place, but I would rather stay with you.”  
“Well, alright then. Go figure out what you need in order to live here full time.”  
O gives me a big hug and then heads off to her room. I take Lauren and Ash down to my quarters. I look at Lauren and say, “As you can see there are his and her dressing rooms and a beauty room. I want to combine the his and her dressing room and make a cool kid’s room, with some sort of fun bunk bed or something. Ash, what is Asher in to?”  
She says, “I really haven’t gotten to know him that well yet. I know his room at Callie’s has a lot of comic book superheroes and stuff like that in it. Let me talk to him tomorrow and I will call you, Lauren and let you know what I find out.”  
“That’s fine, Ash.” Lauren replies. “Lexa, what else were you thinking?”  
“Ash, do you want me to turn the beauty room into a bedroom for you when you and Asher stay over?”  
She says, “I don’t know. No, I can always roll a cot into Asher’s room or sleep on the couch right outside his room. I don’t need to take up your space with another room. I think it is awesome that you are making a room for Asher.”  
Lauren looks at us funny and says, “Ash, I thought…never mind. It is none of my business.”  
Ash laughs, “It’s okay Lauren. No, we aren’t technically together, it’s rather complicated right now but we are awfully close.”  
I can feel my cheeks turn red, “Ok, moving along, in that case I would like the beauty room turned into a walk-in closet. I would like the room labeled ‘His office’ on the blueprints combined with ‘His studio’ into a workout room. I will need wrestling mats, heavy bags, etc. I want it to be set up for MMA workouts and sparing. Ash, can you think of anything else that needs to be added or changed?”  
“Wait, I have an idea but first I need to talk to Morrigan and you, Ash. Lauren, I will show you down to Octavia’s room while Ash and I talk to Morrigan. We will be back shortly.”  
Ash looks at me confused, “Lexa, what are you thinking?”  
“Do we really need two helipads for only one helicopter?” Before she can answer I call Reed. “Reed, do you have Morrigan’s number? I need to ask her a couple of questions.”  
Reed gives me her number and I call her. “Morrigan, this is Lexa. Is there any way you can meet us on the helipad at the front of the boat for a few minutes? I need to ask you a few questions about an idea that I have.”  
Morrigan replies, “Sure, I will be up there in a few minutes.”  
I look at Ash and say follow me. Morrigan is already there when we arrive. I say, “Morrigan, this is Ash, and she is also a pilot.”  
Morrigan says, “I remember her from yesterday. Nice to meet you again, Ash. What do you normally fly?”  
Ash says, “Well, nothing on a normal basis. I only pilot when there isn’t anyone else available, but I can fly any small military craft.”  
Morrigan says, “So, you are military?”  
“Navy Seal’s but lately I have been involved in deep cover operations for the CIA.”  
Morrigan replies, “Oh, I served in the Irish Navy before I got this job. It isn’t as hectic as your Navy; Ireland is smaller and tends to stay out of wars if possible. Um, Lexa what did you want to ask me?”  
“Well, I wanted to get your opinion on the helipads. Do we really need two if we only have one chopper, and if not which one would you prefer to keep?”  
Morrigan looks at me and Ash, “Well, I don’t think two helipads are really needed, but what are you thinking?”  
I sigh and start, “I was thinking of turning one of the helipads into a designated party/sparing area/recreational area. I was thinking that we could make a raisable platform the size of a UFC cage that would double as a stage for a band or a cage for sparing. When it was used for a band the stage would raise up a couple of feet but when it was used for a fight instead of the platform rising, a cage would rise up around the area creating a fighting/sparing area.”  
They looked at each other and then back to me before Ash said, “That is actually an amazing idea if the engineering aspect of it is doable. It would be great to have a place to spar and train anytime you want, especially if you are going to continue to fight.”  
Morrigan looked at me and said, “What does she mean, continue to fight? Do you fight professionally or something?”  
I laugh, “Not exactly. The previous owner of this yacht runs an unsanctioned fight club that holds fights on Saturday nights. It is an invite only type of thing anyway I fought in a tournament he had last Saturday. That’s how I won this yacht and I just enjoy fighting so I will probably continue to do so.”  
Morrigan says, “In that case, we should talk more sometime. I enjoy a good fight myself. To answer your question about the helipads though, I only need one. This one is bigger, but I can use the smaller one fine. If it were me, I would convert this one into whatever it is you have planned because of its size.”  
“Thanks, that’s what I needed to know. Oh, one more thing before you go, are you available to fly us down to LA and back in a few weeks?”  
Morrigan says, “Sure, just get me all the info by the day before so that I can file the flight plan.”  
Ash and I head down to O’s room to find Lauren so that I can explain this last item and then we can go shopping. Lauren is just finishing up with O when we get there, so we walk the to the helipad and I explain what I want. Lauren seems to think it shouldn’t be a problem, so that is great.  
I look over at Ash and ask, “Can you text Raquel and find out what the plan is, so we can let Morrigan know?”  
“Sure, I will do that right now and then let’s head out shopping. I also need to text Callie and see if she will let Asher go too.”  
While Ash sends her text messages, I talk with Lauren and Octavia. Lauren is going to spend the majority of the day aboard the Untouchable talking with the crew and drawing up plans. She says that she should have a fairly good idea about everything once she talks to everyone and can have a preliminary sketch to me tomorrow afternoon.  
I ask O what she has planned today and if she would like to join us shopping. She gives me a weird look and says, “I thought you wanted to spend time alone with Ash?”  
“Trust me, we spent a lot of time alone last night. Besides, I thought that you may want to get some stuff for your new home, but if you would rather not it’s fine. You should know that I hate shopping so don’t expect me to go with you later. One shopping trip is enough for me.”  
Ash walks up and laughs, “Yeah Octavia, Lexa really hates to shop. I have never seen someone so tuff whine so much. It really is a funny thing to behold, everyone should experience it at least once.”  
She looks at Ash and says, “Are you sure you don’t mind if I tag along?”  
Ash replies, “Not at all.”  
Ash’s phone begins to ring. She looks at the caller ID and says, “It’s Raquel.”   
I hear her say, “Seriously? She is around 140ish, yeah. Hold on let me put you on speaker, she is standing right here.”  
Ash puts the phone on speaker and says, “Okay Raquel go ahead. Lexa is here with me.”  
Raquel says, “Hey Lexa, how have you been?”  
I reply, “Good, how about you? What exactly is going on?”  
Raquel laughs, “Well as you know already there is an event in LA in a few weeks and I have tickets reserved for you and Ash, but I just found out that Kayla Holloway just had to drop out of her fight against Jewel Budd due to an injury in fight camp. Jewel is raising hell with Dana because this is the second fight in a row that her opponent has dropped out right before the fight. She has gone as far as saying that she will fight anyone on Saturday, but if Dana doesn’t find someone for her to fight, she is going to cause major problems for him.”  
“Raquel, what does this have to do with me?”  
“Lexa, ever since the video of Dubai went viral Dana has been trying to get me to tell him who you are. He wanted to get you on the next Ultimate Fighter series but Ash told me that you weren’t ready to decide on that so I wouldn’t tell him who you were. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that Dana has reached out to me and wants me to find out if you would be willing to step in and fight Jewel?”  
O starts yelling, “Lexa, you have to do this. It is an amazing opportunity for you.”   
I say, “I don’t know. I enjoy fighting but I don’t know if I want it to be a full-time job for me.”  
Raquel says, “Dana said for me to make this happen anyway that I could, so you have all the control here. If you want it to be a one-time fight it is your call, but I’m sure if you do well and want to fight more there will be opportunities for that too. Look, Dana is a good guy, and he is willing to pay you $50,000 just for taking the fight. I’ve seen Jewel fight and she is good but seeing how you took out those guys in the bar you won’t have a problem holding your own.”  
Ash says, “How do you even know if Lexa is in fighting shape and ready to go?”  
Raquel laughs, “Come on Ash please tell me that you aren’t that naive. Do you really never look at social media? There are posts all over of Stryker fighting last weekend in the underground tournament. I’ve seen them and so has Dana. We know she is ready to go as long as she can weigh in under 145 pounds and pass the physical, she is good to go.”  
I speak up, “Fine, I will do it as a favor to you, but I want to bring my own doctor to have in my corner and I will need you to send some tapes for me to study on my opponent.”  
Raquel says, “Done! Anything else?”  
“Is there any way to get at least three more ring side tickets for the fights?”  
She says, “It shouldn’t be a problem. I am going to give Dana your number so you should hear from him within the next hour or so to hash out all the details. I can’t wait to see you fight.”  
“Hey, does this mean that you and Tecia will be flying back with us after the fights to celebrate. I have plenty of room for you to stay as long as you want.”  
Raquel says, “Definitely!”  
Once I hang up with her, I look at Ash and O and say, “Well that was unexpected. I guess I might need some new gear for sure now. I can’t go out in front of all those people and look like a chump, now can I?”  
They laugh at me and O says, “I guess we need to get you some personalized shirts, Stryker.”  
Ash looks at me and says, “Stryker?”  
“Yeah, it’s what people started calling me at the underground fights. I guess it will work for this fight as well. What do you think?”  
Ash says, “I kinda like the sound of it.”  
“Okay, let’s get this shopping over with.”


	25. Lexa

About thirty minutes later, we pull into the Honda dealership. I smile at Ash and say, “Are you trying to butter me up by going here first?”  
She says, “It depends, is it working?”  
“That is to be determined.” Suddenly my phone rings and I don’t recognize the number. I answer it on speaker, “Hello.”  
“Hello, is this Lexa Trikru? This is Dana Whiter”  
“Yes, this is Lexa. What can I do for you, Dana?”  
He says, “I hear you have agreed to help me out and step in to fight Jewel. I wanted to touch base with you and work out all of the details. Is now a good time? Do you need to call me back when you are with your agent?”  
“Nope, I have my agent right here on speaker phone with us. Her name is Commander Ashley Fletcher, but I make my own decisions.”  
Ash looks at me with a confused look and whispers, “What the hell?”  
I just shrug and say, “So Dana what’s the deal?”  
He says, “Raquel tells me that you want to bring your own doctor and want some ringside tickets for some friends. Is that right?”  
“Yes, and she told me I was guaranteed $50,000 for showing up. Is that correct?”  
He replies, “That is correct.”  
“What is the payout if I win? She also said something about passing a physical.”  
He chuckled, “Yes, you will need to fly down to our Institute in Las Vegas and get checked out by our medical staff. If they clear you to fight, then you will need to be in LA on Friday afternoon for the official weigh-ins. I can book you and your agent a flight to Vegas for Wednesday and we can go from there.”  
“That won’t be necessary just let me know what time I need to be there on Wednesday, and I will be there. I can tell you that I won’t have a problem with the physical, so what do I need to know as far as fight gear and what is expected of me outside the ring?”  
He answers, “We will take care of all your fight gear for you. We can have it to you before you leave Vegas if you are cleared to fight. After the weigh-ins, there is a short fan meet and greet that you are required to attend. Other than that, you just need to show up at the arena on fight night. How does that sound?”  
“That sounds good, I will see you in a couple of days and we can discuss more about the payout after I pass the physical. I look forward to meeting you, Dana.”  
He says, “I look forward to meeting you as well, Lexa.”  
I look at O and Ash and say, “How do you both feel about a day trip to Vegas on Wednesday?”  
They both laugh and say, “Sounds like fun!”  
“Okay, let me text Morrigan and let her know so that she can have the chopper ready and file the appropriate paperwork. Then I will text Reed and make sure he has the crew prepared for a late-night party on fight night. Crap, Ash what time is the cookout on Sunday?”  
She laughs, “It’s not until 5 so we should be okay. Now let’s go see about a motorcycle.”  
We spend the rest of the day shopping and surprisingly it wasn’t that bad. The first stop was to buy a motorcycle. As I am looking around, I see a guy with a tall blonde looking at a Honda civic. The guy looks awfully familiar, so I ask O, “Does that guy look familiar to you? The one in the baseball hat and the khaki shorts who is now kissing the blonde he is with.”  
Octavia looks over at the couple and says, “Yeah, it kinda looks like Finn but it is hard to tell with the sunglasses and ball hat. I can tell you one thing, that definitely isn’t Clarke.”  
“Should we try and get closer and find out if it’s actually him? I mean he just had his tongue down that girls throat, and I feel like if it is him, we should let Clarke know.”  
Before we have time to get closer, Ash walks by him and does a double take and then says, “Hey, you’re Finn right?”  
O and I ducked behind a car to watch his reaction. He looks startled and says, “Um, yeah and you’re Ash. We met at the club the other night, right? You are with Lexa.”  
Ash replies, “Well, we aren’t together but yeah we met at the club. I thought you were dating Clarke?”  
O looks at me and smiles while taking out her phone and snapping a few pictures. I can’t believe that the girl actually puts her arm around him and kisses him on the cheek at the same time Ash asks him about Clarke.  
Finn calmly replies, “Clarke and I date yeah, but we have a very open relationship not that it is any of your business.”  
Ash says, “Yeah, sorry. I was just…you know what never mind. I’m going to let you get back to whatever you are doing. See you around, Finn.”  
When Ash walks off, she notices us hiding behind the car and asks, “What are you two doing?”  
I smile, “Hiding from that jerk and listening to your conversation. I don’t think what he said about Clarke is true.”  
O says, “No they have never had an open relationship. A couple of us had suspicions that he was a cheater, but we could never prove it but now I have pictures.”  
Ash says, “Will Clarke believe you even with the pictures and is it worth getting in the middle of their business?”  
By the time we made it back to the Untouchable it was dinner time, and I had a brand-new Honda Fire blade motorcycle, a new comforter and sheets for my bed, an outfit for my date with Allie, and bunch more new clothes. I had also ordered all the equipment I wanted and needed for my home gym. Ash stayed for a quick dinner but then she took the jeep and headed home. She said she would text me later about if Asher and Callie were going to the fights.  
Once Ash left, I called Reed and asked if him and Jose were free. The four of us spent the next couple of hours talking and drinking. I told Reed and Jose the story of Callie and Asher and why Ash and I were taking a break. I told them how Ash and Callie were high school sweethearts and had plans on getting married after Callie finished college. Ash was expected to join the military, which is how she became a Navy Seal, but the plan was for her to serve her four years while Callie went to college. After that they were going to get married and have kids. Ash’s bestfriend Robby was supposed to be looking out for Callie while Ash was away.  
While at a party during Callie’s senior year she was rapped and became pregnant. When Ash went to her graduation, she was surprised to find Callie was pregnant and thought she had cheated on her. Long story short, they worked it out and Ash was going to raise the kid as hers until Callie didn’t show up when Ash came home to stay. Everyone, including Callie’s parents, thought Callie and Robby had eloped. Ash went into a downward spiral and joined the CIA for undercover operations. Ash just recently found out that Robby had kidnapped Callie and held her captive until she was finally able to get away after Asher was born. While Ash was in deep cover, Callie and Asher stayed with Amelia, Ash’s mom and well when he started asking questions, they told him Ash was his other mommy. Now Ash is confused about everything so we decided to pause our relationship until she could figure out things with Callie. So that’s where we are now. I’m just going to have fun and if it is meant to be then it will be.  
Reed said, “According to Patrona, the two of you looked like you were very much in love. Her words not mine.”  
I laughed and then told them about last night. O said, “Damn, no wonder you said you were confused. Why do you let her play with your emotions like that? Can she not see how it can be confusing to you?”  
Reed said, “I agree, how can she expect you to be okay with being her booty call while she plays house with Callie and her kid?”  
“Guys it isn’t really like that! I know she has feeling for me and I’m almost positive she wants to be with me, but at the same time she has been put in an impossible situation. Plus, it’s not like I didn’t start it last night.”  
Reed replies, “That may be true, but how are you supposed to get over her if you keep having sex with her?”  
“That’s the problem, I don’t want to get over her. I want to marry her!”  
Octavia spit out the sip of margarita and said, “What? Are you fucking kidding me? You are only 25 and you are in the prime of your life. You should be out there hooking up with whomever you think is hot, not trying to get married to the first person you ever fucked. Excuse my language here but I mean really Lexa! Imagine all of the chicks that will be falling all over you once you win the fight on Saturday, why settle for Ash right now. See what’s out there and then if you still want her so be it.”  
“O, I don’t think I’m made for one-night stands and…I don’t know.”  
Jose finally speaks up, “Lexa, I know that you love Ash and the two of you have been through some pretty traumatic stuff together, but I’m with Octavia on this. I think that you need to get out and experience life and the freedom you fought so hard for. Think about it, less than a year ago all we knew was fighting. We didn’t really have friends, lovers, even family. All we had were the soldiers we were forced to fight beside and other than you and Reed, I didn’t trust any of them. Now look at us, we have somehow found each other again and you two are the closest thing to family I have, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I guess what I’m trying to say is that now that you have the freedom and opportunity you should enjoy it for a while. You have plenty of time to settle down and get married one day but right now enjoy life and if you and Ash are meant to be together you will find your way back to one another just like the three of us did.”  
Octavia says, “No offense, Jose, but I think that is the most I have heard you say like ever. I agree 100% with you and with incite like that you should speak up more often.”  
We all laughed at that. I say, “Thanks guys, I don’t know what I would do without the three of you. Reed, Jose, I don’t know if you are aware, but I have been offered the opportunity to fight in the UFC in LA. I was wondering if you two would like to go?”  
Reed says, “I don’t know if we both can. I mean one of us should probably be here to make sure everything is ready for the celebration party that night and then I’m sure there will also be people aboard for the cookout on Sunday evening as well…”  
I interrupt him, “Reed, Captain Miguel is still here. I will make sure he knows that you and Jose have the night off if you would like to go. You should probably take advantage of this while he is still here, although I’m sure I can always find someone to step in from time to time so you can enjoy yourselves.”  
He says, “In that case, hell yeah we are in!”  
I look at O and say, “I feel like going dancing. Let’s hit the Dragon’s Den and send a text to the crew for them to join us.” She does and an hour later, we are at the table with Jess, Angie, Finn, Clarke, etc. I order shots for everyone and then hit the dance floor. I couldn’t stand being at the table with Finn knowing what he had said earlier about his and Clarke’s relationship. Octavia said she was going to approach the subject with Clarke, but I don’t know when. So, I decided to dance instead of worry about things I can’t help. Soon the DJ said it was karaoke time. I went back to the table and ask O what karaoke was, and she explained what it was and said we should sign up.  
I reply, “I’m going to need to be a lot more intoxicated before I get up and sing in front of everyone.”  
Her answer was, “That can be arranged.” We proceeded to take shot after shot until honestly, I could have been talked into just about anything. The only problem was that it also meant that I would say just about anything as well.  
Finn excused himself to the bathroom and I looked at Clarke and ask, “Clarke, I have a question, but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way. I’m simply curious. Do you and Finn have an open relationship?”  
She looks at me confused, “What? Why would you ask that?”  
O comes back from signing us up to sing and says, “Lexa what did you do?”  
“I just ask Clarke if she had an open relationship, that’s all.”  
Clarke looks at O, “Why is she asking me this?”  
O says, “I was going to talk to you about it later, but I guess she felt the need to ask now while she is drunk and has no filter. We saw Finn today at the Honda dealership with some tall blonde.” She shows her the pictures. “We hid from him but Ash didn’t know any better and she called him out on it and his response to her was that it was none of her business but that you all had an open relationship.”  
Clarke turns red, “Well, this is the first I’m hearing of it, but I have noticed things being off with him lately. I guess I need to talk to him. I had my suspicions, but I just haven’t had the time or energy to deal with him after his fit at the fights the other night.”  
I look Clarke in the eyes and say, “You know I would never treat you like that. If you were with me, I would treat you like the Queen you are.”  
Before she could say anything, the DJ called my name and I started to walk away. As I did, I heard Clarke say, “Octavia what did she mean by that?”  
As I walk onto the stage, O catches up to me and asks, “What the hell was that?”  
I just shrug and say, “The truth. Can we sing Break Up with Him by Old Dominion?”  
She looks at me and smirks then tells the DJ what song to play. The music starts and I look directly at Clarke and sing. ‘Hey girl, what's up?/I know it's late, but I knew you'd pick it up/Naw, I ain't drunk/Okay, maybe I do have a little buzz but/That song came on and I just thought/What harm could/ come from one little call?/I know you say you're taken/But I say girl you're taking too long’ Octavia comes in and sings this part with me. ‘To tell him that it's over/Then bring it on over/Stringing him along any longer girl/It's just wasting precious time/Girl, you know it can't wait/Rip it off just like a band-aid/The way you look at me, girl, you can't pretend’ Then I take it away again, ‘I know you ain't in love with him, break up with him/I know, you don't wanna break his heart/But that ain't no good reason to be keeping us apart, look/Just tell him, it's you, it ain't him/And maybe you can lie to him/And say you'll still be friends/Whatever you got to say/To get through to him that you ain't in love/C'mon you can't deny that you and I/Kinda fit like a glove/So tell him that it's over/Then bring it on over/Stringing him along any longer girl/It's just wasting precious time/Girl, you know it can't wait/Rip it off just like a band-aid/It ain't my business to be all up in/But I know you ain't in love with him/Break up with him/I know that you so done with him/Break up with him, break up with him/You oughta hung up by now/If you weren't thinking it too  
No pressure, whatever, just do what you gotta do/But if I was you/I'd tell him that it's over/Then bring it on over/Stringing him along any longer girl/It's just wasting precious time/Girl, you know it can't wait  
Just rip it off like a band-aidYeah, I know I said it, but I'll say it again/I know you ain't in love with him  
Break up with him/The way you look at me, girl, you can't pretend/I know you ain't in love with Finn, break up with Finn/Just break up with Finn.’ When the song is over, I look at Clarke and say, “Please, just break up with him.”  
As we walk off the stage, O looks at me and says, “What the fuck was that?”  
“I don’t know, it just felt right, and you all said not to just wait around on Ash. I just want her to know that she doesn’t have to put up with his shit.”  
When we get back to the table, Finn is still not back but Clarke is bright red. I look at her and smile. She grabs my arm and pulls me away from the table, “What the hell are you doing Lexa?”  
“What do you mean? I’m trying to tell you that you can do better than him.”  
She shoves me and says, “You are drunk that’s what is wrong with you otherwise you wouldn’t be doing this.”  
“Sure, if that’s what you want to think…that’s fine. I’m going back to the table and have another drink. Speaking of Finn though where did he run off too?” I say and then turn and walk away.  
I find O and say, “I think it is time to go home.”  
She smirks, “Yeah, I think I agree before you do something you can’t take back.”  
We say goodnight and head out the door only to run into Finn kissing a red head. I shove him and say, “Really, you have so little respect for Clarke that you are making out with someone else while she is inside the club. You are a real asshole!”  
He jumps up in my face, “I don’t know what you are talking about. This is my cousin, and I was just saying hello. Do you think she is going to believe you when you are this drunk?”  
I pull my fist back but O grabs me and pulls me away telling me that if I want any chance whatsoever with Clarke I need to chill out and let her figure things out on her own otherwise she is going to resent me and think that I am making things up just to break them up. At this point, I realize that I am pretty drunk and have already probably ruined my chance anyway, so I just follow O and walk away as he laughs.


	26. Ash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you are still waiting anxiously for Clarke and Lexa to get together and I promise it is going to happen. Originally this chapter would be Chapter 78 so as you can see I have cut the story quite a bit but it is still going to be a few chapters. Like I said before, for me this isn't just about Clexa. It is a story about survival and love and love takes time. Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to do so.

When I get home, I find my mother sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine and drinking a glass of wine. She looks up at me and says, “I wasn’t sure you would be home tonight. I noticed the yacht is gone, is everything okay.”  
“Yeah, we spent the rest of yesterday getting things squared away with the crew and then took the Untouchable back to the dock for the crew to disembark. Lexa is going to leave it docked there for a while so the crew can get situated and then she will be anchored in the bay.”  
Mom says, “Ashley, I don’t know if I like the fact that Lexa is fighting in these underground fights. She could get hurt or put in jail.”  
“I know mom, but if she says they are okay then I trust her judgement. Plus, she was offered a last-minute fight in the UFC, so hopefully she will like it and stay with them instead. It is a great opportunity for her, and it is a legal fight. We just have to fly to Vegas on Wednesday for a physical. Do you want to go to the fight on Saturday?”  
She answers, “Honey, I wish I could, but I have too much to do for the cookout. I just don’t think I can this time.”  
“Oh, I told you we don’t need to have that cookout. I don’t really care to see all those people after all this time.”  
“Those people are you friends, honey. Plus, I have a surprise but since you are being so negative, I will go ahead and tell you, but you can’t tell Lexa, Clarke, or Octavia. Promise?”  
“Sure mom, I promise. What is it?”  
“Abby called a few days ago and said that her and Bellamy were getting home to come home earlier than expected, so they are going to surprise everyone at the cookout.”  
“That’s awesome, mom. I’m sure Lexa will be excited to see them both.”  
“Sweetie, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”  
“Well…something happened last night, and I don’t regret it but I’m afraid it may have confused me more than ever and if I’m confused, I can only imagine how Lexa is feeling.”  
“Tell me what happened.”  
I spend the next few minutes explaining to my mother about my night with Lexa and surprisingly it wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be. Although she didn’t seem incredibly happy with me, she seemed to understand. She helped me realize what I was asking of Lexa wasn’t fair even if she said she was okay with it. I know what she said makes sense but when I’m alone with Lexa, I just can’t help myself. I guess we are going to have to make a new rule about not being alone together. I don’t like it, but I think it is for the best. I just hope she understands.  
I thank mom for listening and decide it is time to go to bed. On the way up to my room, my phone buzzes with a text from Callie. I almost forgot had had text her earlier.  
Callie: Hey, sorry it took so long to get back to you. I had a parent/teacher event and just got home. What’s this about going to LA for a fight?  
Me: Well, I wanted to know if you and Asher would like to go to the UFC fights. Some friends of mine and Lexa’s gave us tickets and I thought it would be nice if you and Asher went with us.  
Callie: So not only do you want to take our seven-year-old son to a fight, but you also want us to go with you and Lexa?  
Me: You sound like Lexa, she said she didn’t know if taking Asher was a good idea either. I don’t see the problem with it, though. I just want to spend time with my son doing something that I enjoy, and I thought you might want to spend some time with me, also. If it’s a problem just forget it.  
Callie: Ashley, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped, it’s just that I don’t know how I feel being around Lexa with Asher.  
Me: Callie, at some point you are going to have to get used to her being around because she isn’t going anywhere regardless. She is part of my family now, besides now that she is going to be fighting, she won’t even be sitting with us the majority of the time.  
Callie: I guess you’re right and she was good with Asher. Wait, did you say she was going to be fighting?  
Me: Yeah, apparently there was an injury to one of the fighters during their training camp and she had to drop out. The fight promoter has seen the videos of Lexa fighting on the internet and asked her to step in if she can pass the physical.  
Callie: Wow, that’s great for her. She is an amazing fighter. I’m sure she will do well. I guess it wouldn’t hurt for Asher and I to go. How are we getting there?  
Me: Oh, I guess you haven’t heard. Octavia apparently took Lexa to one of her underground fights and long story short somehow Lexa ended up winning a mega yacht in a bet and it came with a helicopter, so we will all be flying down on it.  
Callie: Are you kidding me? Jess has mentioned that O was fighting but I had no idea it was that big of a deal.  
Me: Apparently, there are some pretty deep pockets that attend those fights because not only did she win the yacht she never has to work if she doesn’t want to. She made a crazy amount of money betting on herself. Oh, and she wants to know if one day I can bring Asher over to ride the jet skis and play.  
Callie: LOL, we will see how the weekend goes with the fights and the cookout. Will you come over tomorrow after school and hang out? Oh, and before I forget do you think that you could keep Asher on Wednesday, it is a teacher workday and I thought he would like to hang out with you rather than going to day care.  
Me: Sure…crap! I can but is it okay if he flies to Vegas with Lexa, Octavia, Clarke, and me to meet with the fight promoter. We can take him to see the Grand Canyon on the way back. It should only take a couple of hours to take care of Lexa’s physical and I’m sure Asher will be okay with it. Please, it will be fun!  
Callie: I don’t know Ashley, I’ll think about it and let you know.  
Me: Okay, text me tomorrow when you leave school, and I will meet you at your house. Maybe we can go to a movie and get pizza or something.  
Callie: Sounds good, see you tomorrow.  
Great, at least she agreed to go to the fights. I just hope she lets me take Asher to Vegas. It would be so much fun to take him and Lexa to the Grand Canyon and I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem for Morrigan to get permission to land the helicopter there. Oh, I should text Lexa.  
Me: Hey, Callie said yes to her and Asher going to the fights on Saturday.  
Lexa: That’s cool. I’m glad she’s letting Asher come now that I’m fighting.  
Me: Why? Are you trying to impress my kid?  
Lexa: Maybe if he likes me, Callie will be more likely to let him hang out with me some.  
Me: I hate to tell you, but I think he already likes you. Oh, that reminds me, Callie asked me if I could watch him on Wednesday. I told her as long as she didn’t mind me taking him with us. Is that okay with you? I thought we could maybe go to the Grand Canyon after we meet with Dana. I think he would love that.  
Lexa: That would be awesome. Ash you don’t have to ask me to bring him along ever, just know he is always welcome. What did Callie say?  
Me: She said she would think about it and let me know tomorrow.  
Lexa: Okay, let me know what she says.  
Me: I will. Talk to you soon.


	27. Lexa

“Octavia are you sure I look okay? I want to look good for my first date with Allie.”  
“Lexa, for the twentieth time. You look amazing! Stop worrying so much besides you need to hurry up to the parking lot, you don’t have time to change. Did you remember to text Clarke about Vegas?”  
“Shit! No, you were supposed to remind me.”  
She laughs and says, “Are you avoiding talking to her because of what happened last night. Isn’t that what I just did?”  
“Not funny, O. You know I am nervous stop messing with me. What time is it? Wait, what do you mean what happened last night?”  
“It is a quarter till six. Please tell me you are joking with me right now and you remember singing to her. You have just enough time to get up to the parking lot. Now go!”  
“Yeah, I remember but I’m hoping if I act like I don’t then so will she. I will text Clarke on the walk up. See you later.”  
She just laughs and I head down to the gangplank and start to walk up the walkway to the parking lot where I am supposed to meet Allie. I pull out my phone and text Clarke.  
Me: ‘Hey, I have a couple of questions for you?’  
Clarke: ‘Okay, this doesn’t sound good. What?’  
Me: ‘Well…I have been asked to step in at the last minute for a UFC fight and one of my conditions with the promoter was that I could bring along my own doctor. I was wandering if you would be my doctor for the fight?’  
Clarke: ‘Um…you realize that I’m technically not a doctor yet, just a resident, right?’  
Me: ‘Yeah, but I trust you and you know what you are doing so I don’t see the problem. Unless you just don’t want to do it. If that’s the case, it’s okay. I will understand.’  
Clarke: ‘No, that’s not it. It’s just…sure, I’ll do it, but at some point, we need to talk about last night.’  
Okay, is it lying if I don’t actually admit to knowing what she is talking about? I should probably just face the music and get it out of the way, but I just don’t have the time right now.  
Me: ‘OK, but I’m not sure I know what you are talking about last night. One more thing. We have to fly to Vegas for the day tomorrow to meet with Dana and have my physical.’  
Clarke: ‘Seriously? I don’t know about that. Finn is already going to be mad when he finds out I’m doing this at all.’  
And there it is, the reason she is hesitant to do this for me, Finn. I don’t see what she sees in that cheating asshole but…I guess it isn’t my business. I can’t believe what I am about to say but it is the only thing I can come up with.  
Me: ‘Don’t tell him. Just tell him you are going to hang out with O tomorrow, it won’t be a complete lie, Dom is going also.’  
Clarke: ‘IDK, I will think about it and let you know later tonight.’  
Me: ‘Okay and think about how much you need me to pay you for being my doctor for the two days.’  
When I look up from my phone, I see Allie standing there beside a black Mercedes Benz. She looks amazing! She has on a light blue cocktail dress with spaghetti straps. The dress hugs her body like it has been made for her. It stops just above her knees showing off her amazingly toned legs. Her outfit is finished off with matching hills and a cute little black handbag. She has her hair down with a slight curl to it and she is also wearing a pair of really hot librarian glasses.  
She clears her throat to get my attention. I stutter, “Um…sorry…you look amazing Princess!”  
She smiles, “You clean up nice, yourself. You ready to go?”  
I walk over and kiss her cheek before opening the driver’s door for her. “Sure am.”  
We drove for about forty-five minutes before pulling up in front of this place that looked like it used to be a warehouse of some sort. It was huge and the sign said Foreign Cinema. I looked at Allie and said, “What is this?”  
She smiles and says, “It’s a restaurant that shows a Foreign Film while you eat. They have amazing food and a great atmosphere, plus they are showing Enter the Dragon tonight. I thought you would like it because it is about fighting, but if you would rather go somewhere else…”  
“No, this looks amazing.” I hop out and open her car door for her and offer her my hand. When we walk in, the hostess told us it would be a few minutes, so we decided to have a seat at the bar while we waited. We took a seat at the end of the bar and ordered drinks. I sit with my back against the wall watching the crowd. We began talking and she explained the reason she missed the party after the fights was because her half-brother got into a bar fight and she had to go and bail him out of jail and by the time he was released into her custody it was after four in the morning.  
As we waited for our table we continued talking and getting to know one another. While we talked, I watched as people came and went, soon I saw a familiar face walk in. It was Finn but he wasn’t with Clarke. He had his armed wrapped around the waist of the same tall blonde from the dealership who was in a noticeably short red dress. Allie stopped what she was saying to see what I was staring at. She says, “Isn’t that Finn, Clarke’s boyfriend?”  
“Yep, but that’s definitely not Clarke. Should I go say something?”  
“No, it isn’t our business. Plus, it may be his sister or something, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”  
I watched as they took a seat at a high-top table. They ordered drinks and then he moved his chair in close next to the blonde’s and started whispering into her ear. Soon he was kissing her neck and then her mouth. I had seen enough. I pull out my phone and snap a few pictures before looking at Allie and saying, “I’m sorry but I can’t just sit here and watch him cheat on my friend without saying something.” I got up and walked over to his table. I say, “Finn, funny running into you here and without Clarke. Who is this?”   
The blonde looked up and says, “Hi, my name is Maria Mastromarino and you are?”  
Before I could answer the blonde, Finn looked up at me and said, “Lexa, what the hell are you doing here?”  
“I’m on a date with Allie. What the hell are you doing sucking face with someone other than Clarke?”  
He says, “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”  
“Whatever dude, just know that I will be telling Clarke about this!”  
“Go ahead, she’s not going to believe you over me.”  
“What I should do, is kick your fucking ass right here in front of your whatever she is.” I take a step toward him and grab him by his shirt and lift him out of his chair.  
He yelps before saying, “What the fuck? Put me down!”  
I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to see Allie standing there. She says, “Stryker, what’s going on? Why don’t you let him go, so we can go and watch the movie?”  
I look at her and then Finn, “I don’t think so. He needs to be taught a lesson about stepping out on Clarke and I’m just the one to do it.”  
She says, “He’s not worth it! He isn’t worth you getting into trouble and ending up in jail. Now come on, I want to finish our date. We can tell Clarke about this later.”  
I let him go and he falls back into his chair with a thump. He looks at us and starts to laugh, “Clarke will never believe you. We have been together too long, and everyone expects us to get married. She loves me, she won’t ever leave me.”  
I look at Maria and say, “Do yourself a favor and get rid of this jerk. You heard what he said right? So, what does that make you? His side piece. Don’t waste your time with this asshole.”  
She looks at me with a smirk and says, “The only reason he stays with Clarke is because it is what is expected of him right now. Once I finish my law degree and take over my father’s practice, he is going to finally get rid of her.”  
Finn cuts his eyes at her and says, “Shut up Mo, you don’t need to tell this dyke anything.”  
I quickly pull out my camera and snap a pick of him and his little side piece, then walk away. I can hear him yelling at me, but I just keep walking. When we get back to the bar, I apologize to Allie. She asks me if I want to leave but I tell her no. Soon we are shown to our table and we order our food. While we eat, we talk about a little bit of everything, she was telling me about being a professional golfer and how she was out of town a good bit. I told her about the yacht, the party and how I was going to be fighting in the UFC. The rest of the night went by without any more incidents. I enjoyed the movie and the company. Afterwards, she takes me to the a club called Warehouse 51 for some dancing.  
I was having an amazing time with her, but it was getting late and I had a big day tomorrow. Around 11:30, she drove me back to the dock. We sat in her car silently until I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned and looked at her, “Allie, I had a great time tonight, but I have an early morning tomorrow.”  
She says, “I had a great time as well. Can we maybe do this again sometime?”  
“I would really like that. Hey, if I can get you a ticket would you like to go to the fight on Saturday with me?”  
“Yes, I would really like that. Um…can I…um…would you mind if I kissed you goodnight?”  
I smirk and lean in and put my lips on hers. She immediately runs her tongue across my lips, and I open so she can enter. Unlike when I kissed Ash, our tongues battle for dominance before finding our rhythm. We continue to kiss until we need to break for air, our foreheads are touching, and I am looking into her beautiful eyes. I say, “Allie, I had a really good time tonight and I do want to see you again…”  
She interrupts, “But?”  
I smile, “How did you know there was a but? Anyway, I was going to say but I want to be upfront with you. I’m not really looking for a serious relationship right now. I just have too much going on right now with fighting in the UFC and the yacht. I’m just looking to have some fun, you know.”  
I can tell she doesn’t exactly like what I’m saying, but she says, “I understand, Stryker, but you should know that I don’t do one-night stands. I like being around you and you are easy to talk to…”  
“Whoa…I didn’t mean…I think you misunderstood me. I don’t expect you to sleep with me. I enjoy your company and want to go out with you again. I just wanted you to know where my head is at right now. I need to focus on the fight and getting used to being in charge of the crew, that’s all.”  
She says, “So, you don’t want to sleep with me?”  
“Um…I…I didn’t say that either. I would love to sleep with you if that’s what you want but I don’t expect you too. I want you to be comfortable with whatever we do. I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”  
She smiles, “Thank you. I would like to see you again.”  
I lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “I would like to see you again too princess. I will text you when I get back from Vegas and let you know if I am able to get you a ticket to the fight. Thanks for dinner and understanding.”  
I get out of the car and wave goodbye before walking toward the yacht. I’m about halfway to the Untouchable when my phone rings. The caller ID shows that it is Clarke. “Hello.”  
She answers, “What the hell are you doing Lexa?”  
“Um…walking to the yacht from the parking lot. What’s up?”  
“You know damn well that’s not what I’m talking about!”  
“Um…Clarke…I have no idea what you are talking about. Care to enlighten me?”  
“Really, that’s how you are going to play this?”  
“Clarke, what the fuck are you talking about?”  
“I’m talking about the fact that you threatened Finn tonight in front of his friend at the restaurant.”  
“Oh, so you knew about him going out with someone else. I thought you said that you didn’t have an open relationship.”  
“Of course, he told me that him and his friend Mo were going to the Foreign Cinema to see some fight movie but that doesn’t explain why you were threatening to kick his ass.”  
“Did you happen to know that this Mo person was the same hot blonde from the dealership and she was in a short red dress and that Finn was kissing her and basically making out with her in the bar before the movie ever started? The reason I threatened him is because he is a jerk and is cheating on you.”  
There was silence on the other end of the line for a few minutes. Finally, I said, “Clarke are you still there?”  
She says, “Yeah, I’m just trying to decide if I should believe you are not.”  
“Look, I have no reason to lie to you and even if I did, I wouldn’t. It’s just not my style. He basically laughed in my face when I told him I was going to tell you and said that you wouldn’t believe me because you love him and are going to marry him. I get the feeling that this isn’t the first or last time he is going to do this and the girl, Maria, didn’t seem too surprised about any of it. In fact, she is under the impression that once she takes over her father’s law firm that Finn is going to leave you for her. I managed to take a picture of them at the bar and then another one of them during the movie kissing, but I didn’t want to hurt you, so I hadn’t decided if I was going to tell you are not. I was going to talk to Octavia and see what she said but since you obviously know, I can send them to you if you want.”  
I wait a few minutes for her to speak and when she finally does, I can tell she is trying not to cry. She says, “I’m sorry, Lexa. I have had a feeling for a long time that he was cheating but I just ignored it, even after the pictures O showed me last night. Now that I have proof that it is the same girl that O has pictures of, I don’t know what to do. I mean, I’m fairly sure that some of the group already knew but just didn’t want to tell me. It’s not like our relationship was great but it was safe and stable and we had fun for the most part. It was what everyone expected. It is what I am used to. My mother loves Finn and his family, which is why I stay with him, mostly. I just don’t know what to do!”  
“Clarke, I’m not the most experienced person as far as relationships go but I do know your mom pretty well and I don’t think she would want you to stay in a bad relationship for her sake. I think she would rather you be happy. Finn thinks that you are going to stay with him regardless of what he does. I’m not sure why he thinks that, but he does and while we are on this subject, last night when I was leaving the Dragon’s Den, I ran into him sucking face with some red head. So, it seems like it isn’t just a one-person thing. Don’t let what others think influence the way you feel. It shouldn’t matter what anyone, but you wants or thinks. You need to do what makes you happy.”  
“Thanks Lexa. If you still want me to go to Vegas with you tomorrow, I will. I’m tired of worrying about what Finn wants. Oh, and can you send me those pictures?”  
“Sure, and yes I still want you to go. Can you be here by around nine in the morning?”  
“Yes, see you then.”  
It wasn’t long after I hung up with Clarke that my phone beeped with a text from Ash.  
Ash: ‘Hey, Callie said Asher can go with us tomorrow. What time do we need to be there?’  
Me: ‘That’s great. I told Clarke to be here at nine.’  
Ash: ‘Sounds good. See you then.’


	28. Lexa/Clarke

I get up early the next morning too excited to sleep. I go to the galley in search of food to find Petrona already in the process of cooking breakfast. I say, “Good morning.”  
She replies, “Good morning, Lexa. What would you like for breakfast this morning and how many should I expect?”  
“Um…as far as I know, it’s just Octavia and me. You don’t have to cook for me though. I can do it.”  
“Yes, I do, not because it is my job but because you need to be healthy if you going to fight. So, what do you want?”  
“Surprise me, about the other night…”  
“No need to explain.”  
“Ok well thank you for breakfast in bed. It was very nice of you.”  
“My pleasure, here you go.”  
“Thank you, Patrona.” I take my breakfast and head up to the outdoor dining area where I find O and Morrigan already eating. “Guess I’m not the only early riser this morning. What are you doing up so early, O?”  
She says, “I couldn’t sleep, too excited. I have never been on a helicopter before or to Vegas. Have you?”  
“I have not been to Vegas before, but I have been on a helicopter before although I don’t really remember it because it was a medivac after I rescued Ash.”  
Morrigan says, “Don’t worry this will be a much smoother ride. Also, I was able to get permission to land not only at the top of the Grand Canyon but also we have permission to land at the bottom.”  
“Wow, that is awesome! Asher is going to love that and who am I kidding so will I.”  
Octavia says, “This is going to be an awesome trip! Now how was your date last night?”  
We sit and talk for a while and I explain about last night and how I saw Finn with the blonde from the dealership. I also tell her about the conversation with Clarke. Soon it is time to go get ready, I decide to wear a pair of black skinny jeans, a tank top with a button up shirt over it and a pair of high top black and white converse. I throw the pair of basketball shorts Ash gave me on that first night, a sports bra, pair of underwear, t-shirt, and my gloves into my backpack. Hopefully, that is all I will need. I guess if it’s not I can always buy what I need. I grab the leather jacket that I got from Cree’s dad and headed up to the helipad.  
By the time I get up there, Clarke and O are already there. I ask Clarke how she is. I can tell she has been crying and hasn’t had much sleep. She says, “I’m actually okay, pretty tired but excited also. After we talked last night, I called Finn and told him we were done. He keep saying that she was his cousin blah, blah, blah. I showed him the pictures and told him that I don’t know of anyone else who makes out with their cousin and even if she were, I would be finished with him because that is just disgusting.”  
I hate the fact that this news actually makes me happy, but it does. I know that it was hard for Clarke and she is probably hurt, but I really think it is a good decision. I look at Clarke and say, “I’m really sorry and I will understand if you don’t want to go today.”  
She says, “No, I want to go besides it will keep my mind off of everything.”  
Suddenly I hear fast little footsteps and Asher screaming, “Xa, Xa are we really going on a helicopter?”  
I bend down just in time for him to tackle me to the ground giggling. Everyone is laughing as Asher is sitting on my chest. I say, “Yeah buddy we are going on a helicopter if you will get off my chest.”  
About an hour and a half later we landed on the helipad at the Las Vegas UFC training institute. We were met by Dana and a couple other people I didn’t know but apparently Asher did. Asher grabbed Ash’s and my hand and pulled us toward them. When we approached them, Asher looks up at me and says, “Xa how do you know Dana Whiter, Matt Hughes, and Manda Nunes?”   
I looked over at Ash then down at Asher and replied, “Um…buddy, I don’t know them. I talked to Dana on the phone but that’s all. The better question is how do you know who they are?”  
He looks at me sheepishly and whispers, “Don’t tell mom but I like watching the fights on my tablet after she goes to bed.”  
Everyone starts laughing. Dana looks at Asher and says, “Don’t worry little man, your secret is safe with me.” Dana then looks at me and says, “Glad to finally meet you Lexa. As your son just informed you this is Matt and Amanda. Amanda here is the reigning feather weight champion.”  
“Nice to meet you guys, this is Octavia Blake my best friend and corner woman, Clarke Griffin my physician and this is Commander Ashley Fletcher and HER son Asher. Ash is my agent and good friend and apparently Asher is a huge fan.”  
Dana says, “Why don’t we go inside, and I will show you around.”  
We follow them inside and for the next half hour, Dana shows us around the facility while Asher points out and names just about everyone he sees. He seems to really follow the UFC. After the tour, Dana looks at me and asks if I am ready to start the process of becoming a UFC fighter. Asher screamed, “Xa you going to fight on tv?”  
Dana smiled and squatted down so that he was eye level with Asher, “If everything checks out with her physical ‘Xa’ will be fighting on tv Saturday night. How does that sound?”  
Asher looks up at Ash and says, “Mommy can I please, pretty please go see Xa fight. We don’t have to tell mom.”  
Ash laughs, “Yeah, buddy. I already asked your mom and she said you could go but we might not want to let her know you have been watching the fights on your tablet or she may change her mind.”  
I looked at Dana and ask, “So, where do we start?”  
“We will start with the physical since everything else is determined by that. I assume you want your physician to go with you.”  
“Yes, Clarke will be accompanying me through the process and Ash will be with me before I sign any paperwork.”  
Dana looks at Asher and says, “So Asher, who is your favorite fighter?”  
Asher thinks a minute before answering, “Well, I used to like Rhonda Rousey when she was winning with the arm bar all the time but now that she moved to WWE, I no like her anymore. I like watching Manda, Justin Gathe, and Henry Cudo. Then there is Rocky and the Tornado, too many. I like them all.”  
Dana smiles, “In that case, why don’t I have ‘Manda’ show you, your mommy, and Octavia around and introduce you to the fighters that are here while ‘Xa’ goes and sees the doctor.”  
Asher begins jumping up and down screaming, “Really? Yes please, let’s go.” He grabs Amanda’s hand and is ready to go. I look at Ash and laugh. She just smiles and shrugs her shoulders and follows behind them.  
For the next hour, I talk to a couple of different doctors, the main one being Dr. Hines. If I had known that they would ask me such personal questions, I probably wouldn’t have brought Clarke along, since we aren’t really close, but I would definitely like to be. It is a little embarrassing that she finds out this stuff about me in this setting. I could tell that she was uncomfortable listening to how I got each and every scar on my body, but I also noticed how she never took her eyes off of me the entire exam. I wasn’t embarrassed by them, but I didn’t really enjoy having each and every one of them pointed out in front of her. Then the doctor said something about an exam and pregnancy test, and I couldn’t help but freak out. After what Omar and his guys did, I’m sure the doctor will be able to tell and I don’t want Clarke to find out this way. I don’t want her of all people to think of me as broken because I’m not. Clarke tries to leave the room but that freaks me out even more and I beg her to stay. What am I doing? Seriously, I beg her to stay and even turn down her offer to go find Ash. I mean, I’m sure Ash would come, but I don’t know I just don’t want her here. Finally, the doctors cleared me and pointed us in the direction of the training area where we found the rest of the group.   
Asher was decked out in UFC gear and it looked like his shirt had been autographed by everyone he met. He also was wearing a UFC backpack and I could only imagine what he had in there. He ran up to me and said, “Xa, look at all the cool stuff they gave me.” I then noticed that O also had on a pair of UFC sweats and hat and was also carrying a backpack.  
“Looks like you guys racked up on gear while I was being poked and prodded by the doctors. Asher are you having a good time buddy?”  
“Yes, can we stay longer please.”  
Dana said, “Xa we still need to talk about your contract but first I would like to see what you look like in the ring. Do you mind going a round or two in full pads?”  
“Sure, whatever you need from me. Just let me change.”  
He points me in the direction of the locker room, and I go change into Ash’s shorts and decide to leave on my tank top. I grab my gloves and head back out to find Amanda in full pads warming up. Great, I get to go up against the champ in front of everyone. Now I’m super nervous. Of course, Ash can tell, and she comes over with a set of pads and begins helping me put them on. As she does, she tells me to relax and just have fun that with all these pads it will be hard to move so just have fun. I feel like a hocky goalie and can barely move.  
I look at Dana and say, “How are you supposed to see how I fight if I can’t move in all of this crap?”  
I climb into the ring and look over at Amanda and see she looks as uncomfortable as I do. Dana explains what he expects and says when the bell rings go for it. So, when the bell rings, I head to the middle of the ring and hold my hand up to touch gloves.  
Charley  
I can’t believe everything that has happened the last couple of days. My life is a wreak! Finn is blowing up my phone and I finally just turn it off. I agreed to be Lexa’s doctor for the fight and come on this trip to get away from him for a little while. I needed space so that I could try and figure out where to go from here. I can’t believe I let him control my life so much and I didn’t even realize it until I was about to tell Lexa no because it would piss him off. I mean I knew that something was off with our relationship because I was expected to be available whenever he needed me, but he never reciprocated and didn’t want me going out unless he was with me.   
Now here I am in a room with Lexa who, if I’m honest, I’ve been trying to avoid being alone with. Ever since she walked into the Dragon’s Den that first night with Octavia, I can’t keep my eyes off of her. I’ve tried pushing her away and being rude to her, but the fact is there is just something about her that…I don’t know it feels like my body craves to be near her. I don’t understand, I’ve never been attracted to women before. Hell, I’ve never really felt this way about anyone, not even Finn and we have been together officially since freshman year so going on ten years.  
The door opening interrupts my thoughts, in walks a woman in a white coat and introduces herself as Dr. Helena Hines. She looks at Lexa and says, “So, I see that you are originally from Afghanistan but are living in San Francisco now. Are you here on a green card to fight? When was the last time you had a physical? And who is with you today?”  
Lexa looks over at me and smiles, “This is my personal physician Clarke Griffin.”  
I shake my head and interrupt her, “Actually, I am in my first year of residency so…I just doing this as a favor for Lexa.” When I look over at Lexa, she has a smirk on her face. I guess she finds this funny.  
Dr. Hines says, “Ok, Clarke, have you personally given Alexandria here a physical before?” Now it is my turn to laugh, Alexandria? I didn’t know that was her real name.  
“Actually, no I haven’t given Alexandria a physical before. As I said, I’m not really her doctor. I am just doing this as a favor for Alexandria because she is new to town and I am a friend of a friend.”  
Lexa speaks up, “That is quite enough of the Alexandria mess. My name is Lexa, no one calls me Alexandria, ever. Doc, to answer your earlier questions, I am not here on a green card. I am a United States citizen, and I don’t know when my last physical was, but I do know that about ten months or so ago, I had to have my spleen removed.”  
Dr. Hines says, “Okay and where was this surgery performed?”  
“Um…a military base in Afghanistan.”  
“And why was it removed?”  
“I don’t know…I was unconscious. I was told it was ruptured and I was bleeding out internally.”  
“Do you know why it ruptured?”  
“Yes, I was hit by shrapnel from a land mine to begin with. After having the wound closed, I was punched repeatedly in the same side rupturing my spleen.”  
As I sit there listening to Lexa answer the doctor’s questions, I’m a little embarrassed because they are personal questions, and I don’t really feel like Lexa and I have this level of friendship. I know when she told the story of her time over there, she said she would answer everyone’s questions honestly but…I don’t know, I just feel out of place being here. After answering a few more questions Dr. Hines says that she will be back in a few minutes to perform the physical and asks Lexa to take off her clothes down to her bra and underwear and then she walks out the door.  
As soon as she is out the door, I look at Lexa and say, “Um…are you sure you want me here for this. I mean…well, this seems way more personal than I thought when I agreed to be here and…Well, I’m a little uncomfortable with all of this. I mean, I really don’t know you well enough to see you in your underwear.”  
She laughs and says, “Clarke, you’ve seen me in basically me underwear before at the fights the other week. You even gave me a massage after you examined me, so I really don’t see the difference besides you are here and I trust your opinion because I trust Abby. If you would rather leave, I understand and I can maybe call Abby and have her talk to the doc, but I would really appreciate it if you would stay. I don’t trust people that I don’t know, and I don’t know this Dr. Hines.”  
“Okay fine. I will stay.” I turned around while she undressed to give her some privacy but what she said was true. I had already seen her pretty much in this stage of undress at the fight, and that was when I knew I was in trouble being around her. She has the most amazing body I have ever seen. I mean Finn played football and basketball, but he was nothing compared to her. Her dark skin was flawless, except for the scars. She was more muscular than most guys but somehow it worked for her. She has these piercing steel blue eyes that look like they can reach into your soul and see you for who you really are. Even though she is extremely attractive and sexy that isn’t what draws me to her, it is the fact that she is so open and honest, caring, and loyal.  
I’m startled when I hear the opening of the door, again. I turn around to find Lexa sitting on the exam table in her underwear and bra. I can feel my ears start to burn and my cheeks begin to flush. I try and look away from her, but I just can’t. She sees me staring and smiles but looks away quickly, but not before I notice her cheeks turn pink.  
Dr. Hines begins by asking Lexa about her medical history, allergies, and the like. Lexa explains to the doctor that as far as she knows she hasn’t had any major issues medically but that she was in an orphanage until she was almost seventeen until her school was bombed by the Taliban. She went on to explain about how she had lived at Ahmed’s camp for almost six years and that is when she started going to Abby’s clinic near the US military base. Lexa also says that she can’t remember ever being sick, not even a cold.  
Once the doctor had this explanation, she started taking Lexa’s vitals and performing reflex tests and just an overall physical exam. When Dr. Hines moved around to Lexa’s back to listen to her lung’s things became extremely uncomfortable for me.  
Dr. Hines said, “What in the hell happened to your back? Where did you get all of these scars?”  
Lexa looked my way but then quickly looked to the floor before answering, “I told you doc, I was in a Taliban camp for almost six years. Where do you think I got them? Some are from whips, some knives, some from hot iron and some from land mind shrapnel.”   
Dr. Hines then looked over at me and ask, “Did you know about all of these?”  
“Um…well it’s like I told you, I haven’t given her an exam, but I have heard a good bit of what she went through over there.”  
“Alright then, I see you have a bullet wound in your shoulder. Where did that happen?”  
She smirks and says, “Read the tattoo doc and you will get your answer.”   
I can’t help but laugh at her answer. She follows it up with, “It is from a sniper attack. The bullet entered through the front of my flak jacket, went through my shoulder and out the back lodging itself in the back of the jacket. To make this go a little quicker, I already told you about this one.” She pointed to the surgical scar, then she started pointed at each individual scar and explaining them one by one. “I got this one from a knife fight, this one from an explosion, this one from an elbow to the head in a fight in Dubai. Then there is this one from a bullet grazing me in Washington DC and this one from a bar fight in DC. I think that’s about it, doc.”  
Dr. Hines said, “It seems to me like you really enjoy fighting outside of the ring, as well.”  
“Um…no ma’am. I don’t but contrary to what a friend told me, there are a lot of people in this country that carry guns with the intent on harming innocent people and I can’t stand by and watch it happen, so I usually end up getting involved. I would much rather do my fighting inside a ring or cage.”  
“What do you mean, exactly?”  
“Well, ma’am, when I was in Afghanistan fighting, everyone carried guns. It was normal over there, you know. Anyway, I was involved in two major gun fights and one rescue mission. In those, I was only shot one time. Once I became a US citizen a solider friend of mine, Blake, told me that when I got to America, I wouldn’t have to worry about being shot at daily. Well, excuse my language, ma’am, but I call bullshit on this. In the few days I was in DC to receive medals that I didn’t want, I was shot at twice and had knives pulled on me at least two times as well. At least when I was in the desert, I also had weapons.”  
“As much as I really want to hear your entire story, I’m sure Dana is getting antsy to know if you passed the physical so let me just finish up your exam and do a quick pregnancy test and pap smear since I’m guessing you haven’t had one before.”  
I can’t stop a cough and gasp from escaping my mouth. Lexa looks over at me with a strange look on her face before saying, “Excuse me? What exactly is that and why a pregnancy test?”  
I know for a fact that my face is crimson red when the doctor begins to explain the exam to Lexa. She says, “You are going to need to look where and do what? I don’t think so!”  
I’m not sure why but she is seriously freaking out about the doctor doing a pelvic exam and pap smear. I’m not extremely happy about being in here for the exam either. I need to figure a way out of here and fast. I say, “Um…Lexa…I -I think I will just step out of the room while the doctor does this exam. I will be…”  
She interrupts, “No, please don’t leave me! I don’t want anyone going…um…well, I don’t want anyone going down there, you know.” I can hear and feel the panic in her voice. She seems so…I don’t know scared.  
Dr. Hines looks at me with a questioning look. I know what she is probably thinking because I’m having the same thought and it makes me angry, but I don’t know if it happened or not, so I shrug my shoulders. I can’t help but step close to Lexa and take her hand. As soon as our skin touches, I feel an electrical charge and my entire body reacts to her. I look her in the eyes and ask if she would like me to go get Ash, but surprisingly she says no. Then she asks, “Clarke, will you please stay and just hold my hand. You can close your eyes turn your head whatever but please don’t leave.”  
To see the fear in her eyes breaks my heart. I would have never thought that anything would scare her after all she has seen and done. I can’t bring myself to say no, so I stay and hold her hand and make her talk to me about her yacht so that she doesn’t think about what is going on. Once the doctor is finished, she tells Lexa to get dressed and as soon as she has the results of the pregnancy test, she will let Dana know. She goes on to say as long as she isn’t pregnant, she is cleared to fight. I say, “That’s great. Lexa, I’m going to be right outside the door. Once you are dressed, we will go find the group, okay?” She just nods and I follow the doctor out of the room.  
Once outside, I look at Dr. Hines with a questioning look, but I’m scared to ask the question that I want answered. I’m torn between the need to know and not knowing if it is any of my business or not. Dr. Hines must see the conflict in my eyes because she says, “If you want to know…”  
“I do, but I don’t. I mean is it really any of my business what has happened to her?”  
“Clarke, she wouldn’t have asked you to stay if she didn’t trust you. I know you said you were just doing a favor for a mutual friend but honestly, I think there is more between you two than either of you let on.”  
“What? There is nothing going on between us and the only reason she trusts me is because my mom is the doctor in Afghanistan that treated her over there. As far as do I want to know, I think if it is any of my business, she will tell me so no I don’t want you to tell me.”  
“Alright then, she seems to be a strong person who is carrying a lot of baggage. I hope she does well in the fight. Please let me know if you are her ever need anything and good luck with your residency.”  
I stand there stunned. What did she mean there is more going on between the two of us? I mean I don’t really know her that well except for the fact that I am drawn to her for some reason and I have been trying hard to fight it. Whatever!


	29. Ash

I can’t believe what I am watching, Lexa looks like the stay puff marshmallow man in there trying to fight. She circles Amanda and throws a few jabs to try and find her range, but Amanda dodges them easily and then does the same. They continue to throw jabs and kicks for a while getting used to moving in the pads. Amanda shoots for a takedown and instead of sprawling, Lexa goes with it and uses her momentum to flip Amanda and lands on top of her in full mount. She then starts elbowing Amanda in the head. She gets in a few good shots before Amanda bucks her off and Lexa lets her get back to her feet.  
I glance a Dana and he looks surprised. He hasn’t seen anything yet. I can tell by the way she is moving that she is becoming more comfortable. Amanda charges in and hits Lexa with a combination backing her up and into the fence, where she gets her in a clinch. Lexa immediately grabs her in a Thai clinch around the neck and throws a couple knees to the body. Amanda works her in the clinch trying to take her down. She throws a couple of knees to Lexa’s body and then Lexa nails her with a knee to the head that knocks her back which she follows up with a spinning back fist.  
At this point, I think Amanda is becoming irritated and she unleashes another combination backing Lexa up into the fence. They continue to go back and forth until the end of the round. Dana asks Amanda, “What do you think?”  
Amanda walks over and says, “She’s good. Have you seen enough?”  
He smiles and nods. Once Lexa has taken off the pads, Dana looks at me and says, “Would you mind if Amanda takes Asher and shows him how to hit the bags while we go into the office and talk contracts?”  
I look at Octavia and Clarke and say, “Would you guys mind keeping an eye on him?”  
They nod and head off with Amanda. We follow Dana up to his office and once we were all seated, he said, “So, Commander what are you thinking as far as terms to make this happen?”  
I look at Lexa and then back to Dana, “First call me Ash and second you will have to ask her. I’m just here for moral support.”  
He looked between the two of us, “I thought Lexa said that you were her agent.”  
She speaks up and says, “I did, but I also said that I would be making my own deals. So, Dana what are you thinking?”  
He replies, “Well the standard for first time fighters is $50,000 for making weight and showing up to fight. Then there is the opportunity for bonuses for fight of the night which is another $50,000 and performance of the night which is also $50,000.”  
Lexa says, “Okay, but how much do I make if I win?”  
He smiles and says, “Normally, first time fighters only make the base pay for showing up whether they win or lose it is the same. Since you are stepping in at the last minute, I am willing to negotiate with you. I can offer you $100,000 bonus if you win, plus I will supply all of your prefight and fight gear.”  
She says, “That sounds reasonable, but what about tickets to the fight for my friends? And t-shirts? Also, I need gear for my physician as well. I want to look professional if I’m going to be on television.”  
He laughs, “You sure know how to negotiate for someone who has never done this before. Fine, how many tickets and t-shirts do you need?”  
Lexa looks at me and I just shrug. I don’t have any idea how many friends she has. I am really impressed at how well she is handling this. I don’t know if I could have done this good of a job for her. She smiles and says, “I think fifteen should do. Now let’s talk merchandising, when I win, you are going to be able to make a killing on selling t-shirts and posters with my name and face on it. I think it is only fair that I make a percentage of the sales, I’m thinking about 15%. How does that sound, Dana?”  
“It sounds to me like you are getting way ahead of yourself kid, but I like your confidence. I would be willing to give you 3% of merchandising.”  
“Nope, that’s too low. How about 10%?”  
Now he starts laughing again, “Okay, final offer is 7%.”  
Lexa smiles, “Fine, but if I decide to fight for you again, we will renegotiate the terms. These terms are just for this fight and I am under no obligations to fight in the UFC again, correct?”  
Dana looks at me and says, “Damn, no wonder you let her make her own deal. She has a real head for business deals. To answer her question, yes this is a one fight contract anything beyond the fight on Saturday will require a new contract to be signed.”  
I say, “Business isn’t the only thing she is good at. Wait until you see her fight and trust me you don’t want to get into a knife or gunfight with her either.”  
He just gives me a funny look and tells us he will have his attorney draw up the contract while we go down to the print shop and tell them what I want on my gear. About an hour later, the contract is signed, and we are all loading up the helicopter with gear and equipment. Lexa and I shake Dana’s hand and promise to be in LA on Friday by noon for the weigh-ins.  
Once we are airborne, I look at Lexa and say, “I can’t believe all the stuff you were able to get, plus how did you even know to ask about merchandising?”  
She says, “I can’t take the credit for that one, Raquel text me last night and told me to ask for it.”  
I shake my head and laugh. Asher is talking 900 miles a minute about how Amanda taught him how to hit and kick a heavy bag and he got his shirt signed by everyone that was there. He was literally vibrating in his seat. I ask him, “Do you want to fly into the Grand Canyon and take some pictures?”  
He says, “Yes, and O and Lark are going to text you the pictures we took while you were with Dana. Can you send them to mom? Also, can you take picture of Xa, you, and me in the canyon with our Stryker shirts on and send to mom?”  
“Sure, buddy. Anything you want.”  
Morrigan is a great pilot and she is able to fly us over the hoover dam and through the Grand Canyon, giving us some unbelievable views. After an amazing flight through the canyon, she lands on a helipad at the bottom near the river. We all get out and walk around taking pictures and enjoying the beauty of it all. All too soon it is time to head home. On the flight back, Asher fell asleep with his head in my lap. He was so cute today and seemed to have a great time. I just hope that Callie doesn’t get to mad about all the pictures with Asher and Lexa, but he insisted that I take them.  
I look over at Lexa and she is staring out the window, while Octavia and Clarke are talking about everything that happened today. I say, “Penny for your thoughts.”  
She smiles and says, “Just thinking about everything that has happened in the past year and how far we have come in such a short time. I spent so many lonely years dreaming of a better life that now it is hard to believe that this isn’t all some elaborate dream that I will wake up from and I will still just be that lonely girl stuck in the dessert again.”  
“Lexa trust me this isn’t a dream that you are going to wake up from and you will never be lonely again. You have fought hard for everything that you now have, and no one can take that away from you. You are now a part of a family. You have me, mom, Asher, Octavia, Reed, Jose, Bellamy, Abby and the rest of your group.”  
Clarke says, “Hey, you forgot about me. After everything I saw today during the physical, I should be listed in there somewhere.” As soon as she says it, she turns beet red. I don’t think she realized how it would sound when she said it out loud. When I looked at Lexa she was just as red.  
I laugh, “Um…what exactly did your physical entail, Lexa?”  
“A million and one questions about each and every scar on my body. Poor Clarke now knows almost every inch of body probably almost as good as you do!”  
Now it is my turn to be embarrassed, I start to stutter, “Um…What…I-I meant…”  
O is dying and says, “I don’t know about the two of you, but I don’t find it hard to look at Lexa’s body. I mean it may sound weird, but it is like a work of art, sculpted from stone or something. It’s too bad she is like my sister otherwise, Ash we may be fighting over her.”  
Lexa screams, “Okay that is quite enough about my body. The next one that mentions it doesn’t get a ticket to the fight.”  
I just laugh but can’t help but feel like there is something growing between Clarke and Lexa.


	30. Lexa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hints at rape but doesn't go into any details about it other than to say it was a form of punishment.

As I stare out the window of the chopper, I start to think about everything that has happened in the past year. I went from being a slave in an army fighting for a cause that I didn’t believe in to falling in love with the most amazing woman. I managed to take down a major Taliban cell and become a United States citizen only to lose, at least temporarily, the love of my life. Then somehow, I managed to make myself a millionaire and find the two people who I thought I would never see again, Reed and Jose. Now I’m flying on my personal chopper after signing a UFC contract, man how things have changed. Then there is Clarke, who confuses the hell out of me, yet I find myself extremely attracted to her.  
I hear Ash ask what I’m thinking, and I tell her. Somehow the subject gets changed to my body and how it looks like it was sculpted from granite or something, making me extremely uncomfortable and I threaten that the next one who mentions my body won’t get a ticket to the fight. Of course, everyone laughs but when I glance a Clarke her cheeks are still pink.  
By the time we land it is around ten and I tell everyone they are welcome to stay the night. Of course, O is already staying but I offer Clarke and Ash one of the suites. Ash says that she has to get Asher home, but she would have Asher and Callie here early Friday morning to head to LA. She also said that she would get in touch with Dana and double check the hotel arrangements. I thank her and call the night guard to give her and Asher a lift to the parking lot.  
After Ash leaves, O decides she wants to call the group and go out to the Dragon’s Den to tell them about our day. I’m tired and tell her that I’m just going to chill here tonight but they should go and have fun. I hand her five of the tickets to the fight and tell her she can decide who to give them to and tell whomever that we will be leaving Friday morning at nine if they plan on riding with us.  
I turn to head down to my room when I feel someone grab my wrist. I turn to find Clarke standing there staring at me. I’m not sure what to say or do. A moment passes and I finally say, “Are you okay? Do you need something?”  
She looks at the ground and says, “Would you mind if I stay for a bit? I don’t want to be alone and I’m not ready to face everyone right now. I had to cut my phone off earlier because Finn kept calling and texting. I’m sure if I go home, he will end up on my doorstep before the night is over and I don’t want to see or talk to him.”  
“Clarke you can stay as long as you like. Are you hungry? I can get Patrona to make us dinner or a snack.”  
“I could go for a sandwich and some drinks.”  
“Sure, how about some chips, queso and salsa with a pitcher of margaritas?”  
“That actually sounds really good.”  
“Cool, let’s go downstairs by the firepit and I will call Patrona.”  
I call Patrona to ask her if she would make us a snack and bring it down by the fire pit before heading downstairs. She follows me down to my room, where I throw all my new gear in the closet and show her where she can put hers. I grab a t-shirt and pair of sweats for Patrona and we walk out to the firepit. We sit for a few minutes in silence and I can tell something is on her mind. Finally, I break first and say, “Clarke, you know you can talk to me, right? I would never do anything to hurt you or betray your trust.”  
Suddenly she starts to cry. Great, I’m new to all of this and I have no idea what to do, but for some reason I get up and go sit next to her and wrap my arm around her. Her body tenses up when I touch her, so I say, “Relax it’s okay, Clarke, let it out. I’ve got you and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”  
She relaxes into me and says, “Why are you being so nice to me, when I’ve been so mean to you ever since we met?”  
“You weren’t really mean, you just acted like you hated me for some reason.”  
She laughs at this and pulls away wiping her eyes, “Isn’t that the same thing?”  
“I don’t know, up until about two weeks ago, I had never had to worry about whether someone liked me or not. Well, except for Ash, but that was more a trust issue than anything. You have to understand that I’m used to being told what to do. I’m not used to being able to make my own choices and now that I can, I want to make the right choices. Not the ones that I am expected to make. I let your attitude slide because I trust your mom, but also because I find you intriguing and want to get to know you.”  
Before she can say anything, I hear a knock and Patrona appears with our food and drinks. Patrona looks at me and then Clarke and says, “Lexa, let me know if you need anything else or if you need me to bring you and your guest breakfast in bed in the morning.” And then she turns to leave.  
I can’t believe she just said that, and I feel my face start to burn with embarrassment and when I glance at Clarke, she is looking at the ground with red cheeks. “Hold on a minute, Patrona, I want to introduce you to my friend Clarke. Plus, I got you something.” I hand her the shirt and pants. She looks at them and then grabs me in a bear hug and thanks me over and over. I just laugh and tell her to enjoy them. She smiles and says, “I will definitely bring you all breakfast in bed in the morning. Thank you so much Lexa.”  
I turn red and start to stutter, “Um…that that want be necessary. Clarke and I are just friends. I’m well…if she-she stays she will probably prefer to stay in one of the suites.”  
Patrona smiles and says as she walks away, “Sure, sure just a friend. Like Ms. Ashley is just a friend.”  
“Patrona, I’m going to take back my present if you keep talking like that. I look at Clarke and say, “I’m sorry about that.” I pour us both a margarita and we sit and enjoy the snack and drink in silence. After the chips are gone and we are on our second drink, Clarke looks at me and says, “The reason I acted like I hated you was because when my mom would call from Afghanistan, all she talked about was you and how strong you were to be able to go through everything you went through and still have hope, not hate. I felt like she would rather you be her daughter than me. She was always so worried about you. But then when I met you and saw how attractive you were…I don’t know it made it even worse. On top of that, every girl you meet wants to be with you and hear all about what you went through. To make it worse, once Ash walked away from you at the club…well you started taking girls up on their offers like that was going to help you with whatever is going on between Ash and you. I guess…I guess…I was jealous because I wanted you too, but I was with Finn and I know you are still in love with Ash. Then Allie kissed you at the fight and it was all I could do not to punch her in the face because I thought we were finally getting past everything.”  
Wow, I don’t know what to say about all of this. I really thought she hated me until she gave me the massage at the fights and even then, I thought she was just being helpful. I must have a look on my face or something because she suddenly got up and started to walk away. I stood quickly and moved in front of her, so that I could look her in her beautiful emerald green eyes. “Hey, where are you going? I thought we were…”  
“Look, Lexa, I’m sorry I said all of that. I shouldn’t have. I guess I’m just tired and the drinks got to me…I know you don’t like me that way.”  
“Hold on, can we sit back down and talk please.” She nods and sits back down. I sit next to her and take her hand. “Clarke, I have a lot that I want to say to you right now, but first I want you to know that Abby is extremely proud of you and talks about you all the time. So much, in fact, that I felt like I already knew you when I met you. During those long months while Ash was in the coma, Abby and Blake would sit with me when they could and tell me all about you and Octavia and how great things would be once I made it over here. I knew from hearing Abby talk about you that you were someone I wanted to get to know. What I didn’t realize was how strikingly beautiful you are. When I met you that first night at the club, I wanted…I knew I had to be careful around you. Especially since you were with Finn and he obviously hated my guts. After you gave me the cold shoulder, I had to keep my distance because I knew that he was bad news but I’m not the type of person to break up anyone’s relationship. When I told Becca and Sami that Allie shot me down but, I liked a challenge. They told me I should go after you instead. I couldn’t though because it wouldn’t be right, that’s just not me…” I down the rest of my drink and pour another one for me and her. She immediately downs it. “Would you like something stronger?”  
“Maybe, actually yeah. I didn’t realize we were going to get into all of this.”  
I grab a bottle of Patron and two shot glasses that I keep in my mini fridge. I pour us a shot and say, “We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to. It’s completely up to you, but I promise I will be honest with you about anything you want to know.”  
“I appreciate that, and I think I need to get this stuff off my chest. I think one of the reason’s Finn hates you is because he could tell that I liked you. I tried to hide it, but I guess he knows me too well. Finn and I grew up together and I think that everyone just assumed we were going to be together, so we were. Don’t get me wrong, I do love him, but I don’t think I was ever really IN love with him. He is more like my best friend and we argue a good bit. I knew he wanted to get into politics, and he said that we were the perfect couple and that would help him get elected. At first it was great. Like I said we had known each other since we were babies and we were best friends, so it just seemed like the next step was to date, you know. He was kind and caring and we knew everything about one another, but when I wanted to wait to have sex…he changed. At first, I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t want to have sex with him but then I realized it was because I wasn’t attracted to him in that way. Eventually, he wore me down but…I didn’t enjoy it and I think he could tell. I don’t think he cared though because the more excuses I came up with not to, the more he wanted to. I think that is why he started cheating, because he wanted it more than I was willing to give it. He became controlling and sorry I know this is not something you want to know about but…”  
“No, it’s fine. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me. Clarke he never forced you, did he?” I poured two more shots.  
“No, not really. I mean, I didn’t really want to, but I didn’t stop him or tell him no. I was his girlfriend after all and that’s what we do, right. Isn’t that what women have been doing since like forever, making their men happy. I just became really good at blocking it out when it was happening and faking orgasms so that it would be over. I know it sounds bad, but I would just think about anything else, you know?”  
“Actually, I do understand that. Probably more than most people would. I have used that same technique to get me through some extremely hard times. I think that is why I have such a hard time with social ques and things because I shut off all my emotions for so long, that I have forgotten how to interact like a normal person, but I think I am getting better about it. It wasn’t until I met Ash that I decided I needed to change. I saw myself reflected in her actions, the way she was so closed off and untrusting, even in the way that she didn’t care where she lived or died. I knew how she felt because I felt the exact same way. I don’t know maybe that, on top of, what we went through together is the only reason we got together in the first place. Now look, I’m the one who is rambling…” I down another shot, then pour two more. By now, I have enough alcohol in my system that I will pretty much say or do just about anything but that’s okay. I need for Clarke to get to know the real me.  
“What do you mean you have done the same thing? Did you not enjoy being with Ash?”  
“What? Yes, I enjoy being with Ash. She feels like home to me, but the more I think about it the more I’m not sure about us. O made a good point the other day about me still being young, maybe I should see what or who else is out there.” I pour another shot for myself but Clarke waves me off, saying she has had enough for the moment. “As far as cutting off my feelings, let’s just say that I have had plenty of practice do that.”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“I’m fairly sure after my reaction during the physical today that you would know what I mean. After all, you did talk to the doc while I was getting dressed. I’m sure she told you…”  
Clarke interrupts me, “Lexa, no. I told her I didn’t want to know. If you wanted me to know then you would tell me in your own time. I would never…never go behind your back about anything.”  
“Oh…well if you really want to know, I will tell you. I just don’t want it to change the way you look at me. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me or pity me, that’s why I haven’t told anyone but Ash, not even your mom. I had no control over anything until I came to America, all I could do is try and survive so that one day things would hopefully be better. So, I did the only thing I knew to do, I shut down emotionally. That way I couldn’t be hurt or have my spirit broken while Omar tortured me. Everything I went through back then, helped form the person I want to be now. Does that answer your question?”  
“Sort of. Lexa I want you to know that I could never see you as broken or pity you. Just from what my mom has told me, I know you have been through a lot. I can understand that you don’t want to talk about it or want people to know everything, but just know that you can tell me anything and I won’t judge you.”  
“Thanks, I just worry that if people know everything I went through, they will think I am a monster or crazy or something because I can still function somewhat normally. I had to see a doctor/therapist back in Afghanistan so that he could evaluate my mental state and even he said it was amazing that I didn’t hate everyone. I told him the only reason I survived was because I had hope. Hope that one day I would be free. Once hate takes over completely, you have already lost. I was determined not to let them win. The way I look at it, you can use hate, or as I call it the darkness, when you need it or let it consume you. I chose to use it. During all those days in solitary when I was being beaten and tortured, I shut down. I didn’t listen to what they wanted me to believe, I only trusted myself. Then when Omar found out that I was a woman, he and his guys started visiting me for their ‘punishment sessions’.”  
“Um…is that code for what I think it is?”  
“Uh, yeah but I prefer ‘punishment sessions.’ Anyway, I realized that the one emotion that could truly break me was hate. If I let the darkness completely take over, I would never be able to come back from the it, but if I learned to control it, the hate could help me later. Hate for him and what he was doing to me and hate for the people that allowed him to do it. It took me longer than it should have to realize that if I just played along, I could end the torture. I tend to be very stubborn and that emotion clouded my judgement. Instead of giving up, I shut down and planned. I used hope to keep me going and hate to get my revenge when the opportunity arose. Now that I have had my revenge on those who hurt me, I want to spend the rest of my life helping others when I can. I have learned a lot of lessons from my past, but my future will be made by my choices. When I tell the story of my past to people, like I did the group that night, I want to be honest, but somethings are kept just for me and those closest to me. I don’t want anyone’s pity or sorrow for what Omar did. I don’t want to be seen as broken because I’m not. I am stronger because of it! I want people to see me the way I see myself, a survivor. I am not defined by my past but what I do with the knowledge that came from it, that is what will help define who I become.”  
Clarke says, “Wow, you really are and amazing woman! Um…but what do you mean when he found out you were a woman?”  
“Oh, not many people know this either, but I spent almost four years of my life as Alexander Shamir Jones, or Zander, so that I could go to school and learn to fight. Over there, girls and women are seen as property and aren’t allowed to go to school like the boys, instead they are forced to work and marry. So, Blake helped me disguise myself as a boy when I was around fourteen and I was transferred from one orphanage to another so that I could go to school and hopefully be able to go on to college and get out of there. Unfortunately, the school I was attending was bombed and that is how I ended up with Ahmed’s group.”  
“Lexa thank you for trusting me enough to tell me all of that. I am sorry that you had to go through it but anyone that takes the time to get to know you will realize what a wonderful and strong person you are. Anyone would be stupid to ever consider you broken. Knowing this does explain the reason you and Ash became so close. I also think that Octavia might be on to something when she says that you need to experience more, but I’m not suggesting that you take her approach. I don’t think she has ever had a real relationship, but you will have lots of opportunities if you want them.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well…I-I mean you have already left a few times with girls so…You should realize that you can probably get any girl, or guy for that matter, that you want and have as many one-night stands as you want, right?”  
“Um…what…no. Why would you say that?”  
“Um…because you are extremely attractive, sexy as hell and the most honest person I have ever met. Anyone would be stupid not to want you for whatever they can get one-night stand or relationship. You are an amazing person.”  
“I know that is what people see on the outside because I come across as cocky, flirty and tuff, but once people get to know the real me with all my baggage. I’m afraid that they won’t stick around for anything long term and I don’t know if I am made for continious one-nighters. The only person that knows the real me is Ash and she was just as broken as I was, until she found out the truth about Callie. Now, well she is getting her life back to what she always wanted, Callie and kids…which is fine, I guess. I just want her to be happy. Next to her, you are the only one that knows what Omar did.”  
“See, that right there is what makes you different than everyone else. Most people wouldn’t want someone they were in love with to be happy unless it was with them. You are selfless and just want Ash to be happy no matter how it affects you. That is just another reason, she is stupid for letting you go. You are not broken; you are a survivor and an amazing person!”  
I sit there for a few minutes trying to comprehend everything she just said. Then I blurt out, “You know why I made you leave the locker room at the fights? It wasn’t because it was time for me to get ready, it was because in that moment I wanted to take you in my arms and kiss you more than anything in the world. You were being nice for a change, and that massage was…well it was amazing…I couldn’t kiss you though because you were with Finn, so I made you leave. Then Allie showed up and kissed me and well, here we are.”  
“Do you still want to kiss me?”  
“Um…yes, more than anything. But…I’m not sure you are ready. You deserve more…you deserve better than Finn and as much as I want to kiss you right now. I want you to be sure. I mean you just broke up with Finn last night and…” My gaze goes to her lips and I completely forget what I am trying to say. She looks so beautiful with the moonlight reflecting off of her golden hair and her cheeks are flushed from the alcohol…  
She says, “And, what?”  
“I don’t know…I forgot what I was saying because I was distracted by how beautiful you are and how much I want to kiss you. But…but I want to get to know you, really know you. There is something about you that makes me want more than one-nighters. I want…” She looks at my lips and then leans in and softly brushes her lips to mine. I lose all brain activity due to the fireworks and stars that I begin to see. It’s like the air itself is charged with electricity. I run my hands through her hair and grab the back of her neck pulling her closer to me. I run my tongue tentatively across her lips wanting more, wanting all of her. She opens up and her tongue slides effortlessly into my mouth and immediately we find our rhythm. I’m amazed at how right this feels. There isn’t a fight for control or dominance. It’s just like, a nice slow dance, our bodies just seem to know how to respond to one another. Unfortunately, I have to break the kiss or I’m going to pass out from lack of air. I pull back and look at her. I can’t help but stare at her and think what the hell just happened? I guess she thought something was wrong because she starts to get up again. This time I am faster, I grab her wrist before she can get up.  
“Oh no you don’t! You are not going to run from me, that’s usually what I do. Talk to me, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”  
She smiles, “No, that was…I don’t know what that was. Scary? I just thought that you…you were just staring…”  
“I was staring because, like you, I was amazed but in a good way. I understand if you never want it to happen again or if it was too soon but…”  
“No…I don’t know…I guess, I’m just scared.”  
“Of me?”  
“No, not at all. I’m scared of getting hurt, again. Even though I wasn’t in love with Finn it still hurts that he would go behind my back with other people you know. And it makes me wonder how many of our friends knew but didn’t say anything. I feel like a fool and probably look like one too, to all our friends.”  
“Clarke, I would never do that. Surely you know that. I would never cheat on anyone I’m in a relationship with. I could never do that to anyone, especially you. It is painful and disrespectful. Yes, I have slept around a lot here lately but when I’m with someone, I’m with them. As far as your friends, if they did know and didn’t tell you, I don’t think they are really your friends because friends should have said something.”  
“I do, but I’m scared that you will choose Ash over me. And what about Allie, aren’t you dating? I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry!” She starts to cry.  
I am so confused, up until that kiss, I would have definitely always chosen Ash over anyone. Now, I’m not so sure. That kiss was amazing, I mean the first time Ash and I kissed it was quick but amazing but not full-on fireworks. I get up and pull her into my arms and hold her. “Ya Amar, please don’t cry. I admit, up until you kissed me, I would have always chosen Ash…but now…I don’t know. All I know for sure is that I want to get to know you better. I want to kiss you again.” She looks up at me with tears running down her cheeks. I use my thumbs to wipe them away and whisper, “Ya Amar, please stop crying. I don’t like to see you upset.”  
She sniffles and asks, “Why are you calling me Ya Amar and what do you mean you don’t know?”  
“Ya Amar means my moon in Arabic and like the moon is always present in the sky, you have been present in my mind since I first met you and just like the moon controls the tides, you have come to control my moods. When you are upset, so am I. I don’t know how to explain what I felt when we kissed other than to say it was like my body ignited and I saw fireworks exploding. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced, and I want more, but only if you feel the same way. I can’t promise that I will never hurt you, but I promise to never intentionally hurt you and I will never force or guilt you into anything you don’t want.”  
I sit back down and pull her into my lap and wait for her to say something, anything. It seems like hours pass but I’m sure it was only seconds before she said, “I don’t know what to say…How do I know that you won’t chose Ash if given the choice? I’m scared, that it is too soon…I’m scared of…”  
“I understand, but I want you to know that I will go at your speed. I just want the chance to try to be the person you want and need. Like I said, I can’t explain what I felt other than to say that it was unlike anything before it. It was better than anything, even my first kiss with Ash and I just want the chance to see what we can have. Trust me, I’m scared too. I thought I knew what I wanted but that changed the moment you kissed me. You changed things for me, okay? I want you to know that you have changed my whole outlook on the future I thought I wanted. You mean more…I felt more in that kiss than I have or do when I kiss anyone, even Ash. I just need you to know that. I just need you to know how I feel. It’s late, why don’t we go to bed and talk in the morning over breakfast. You can have my bed and I will take the couch.”  
“I think that sounds good, but I don’t want to take your bed. I can sleep on the couch or…”  
“I insist you take my bed or at least let me take you to one of the guest rooms if you are uncomfortable sleeping in the same room.”  
“No, I would prefer to not be alone.”  
“It’s settled then, you take the bed. Follow me and I will get you something to sleep in and get you a new toothbrush. Do you need anything else?”  
“No, I’m good.”  
I show her the bathroom and give her a toothbrush. Then I grab one of my t-shirts and a pair of pajama pants before knocking on the door and handing them to her. While she changes, I get out an extra pillow and blanket for the couch. When she comes out, I can see how exhausted she is, and I feel bad for keeping her up. “You look extremely tired, please try and get some rest. Sleep as long as you can and then we can have brunch instead, whatever you need.”  
Clarke  
I don’t what the hell is going on with me. I decided to stay and hang out with Lexa tonight instead of going out. I just can’t face the guys yet and I don’t want to deal with Finn so I can’t go home, plus I just really want to get to know her better. We sit down and eat a nice snack and have a drink but then out of nowhere, I start to cry. Lexa immediately wraps me in a hug and tells me to relax which only makes me cry harder because she is being so nice, and I have been a real ass to her ever since that first night.  
She has been through so much, yet here she is making me feel better by saying all the right things. I start to ramble on about Finn and our relationship. I even tell her I hate having sex with him. Why did I do that? She is just so easy to talk to and she listens without judging me even though I have been judging her since day one. The more I talked the more I realized there was more to her than just her amazing body and piercing blue eyes. I could see something more, hidden deep down. I just needed to find out what it was. For some reason, one I have yet to figure out, Lexa means something to me, more than Finn ever did.  
Lexa eventually brought out the stronger liquor and a few shots in, she was the one rambling. The longer we sat here talking the more at ease we both seemed to be and Lexa began to tell me things that no one other than Ash knew. She is so worried that I’m going to see her as broken if I get to know her and all her baggage but couldn’t be further from the truth. It only makes me like her more, I’m getting to see the true Lexa and I have a feeling not many people take the time to see this side of her.  
After hearing about her ‘punishment sessions,’ I’m angry. I’m so angry that she had to experience those things and even angrier that she feels that people will think less of her because of what she experienced. I want to let her know that I could never see her as anything less than an amazing, caring, beautiful woman. I want her to know that she isn’t broken so I tell her, “I could never see you as broken. Here I was complaining about having to have sex with my boyfriend and how awful it was while you have been through so much more, but you handle it like a champ. You aren’t a sniffling mess like me, you are a well put together attractive woman who I would really like to spend time with.”  
“Clarke, I didn’t tell you about my issues to make you feel like yours were nothing because you deserve better. Even if better isn’t me, you deserve someone who respects what you want and need. Someone who stands beside you not in front of you pushing you down. I just want you to be happy and find someone right for you. Because that’s what matters to me most, your happiness, not mine. I just want to be here for you if you will let me.”  
I sit stunned at what she said. How can someone who has been through so much put everyone else’s happiness before her own. That’s when I decide to tell her everything about why I have been such an ass to her from the beginning. Which leads her to tell me how she feels about me and then I kiss her.  
The kiss…is well like nothing I have ever felt in my life. I don’t know how to explain it. My heart starts to beat faster, I see fireworks and…well I experience wetness in places that I never have before. I mean I know what it is, but it has never happened to me before and it scares the shit out of me. As soon as it is over, she just stares into my eyes and I don’t know why but I attempt to run from her again. This time she is too quick for me.  
“Clarke, please don’t run talk to me. That was…well amazing.”  
“I’m sorry but that was terrifying.” I can tell that I hurt her, but I can’t help it. I’ve never felt this way before and definitely not for another woman. I don’t know why that scares me though because half my friends are gay or bi, hell even my brother is gay. I don’t really think that is the problem. I think it is because I know she is still in love with Ash. Getting attached to Lexa would cause only problems for me. Attachment would lead to heartbreak, again. It was inevitable, giving myself to someone, especially someone in love with someone else, being another person’s everything, only to lose it all…No it wasn’t worth it.  
She interrupted my thoughts by clearing her throat. When I looked up, I swear I see unshed tears, but they are quickly gone. She then says something that scares me even more, she says that I changed what she thought she wanted with that kiss. She explained that up until I kissed her, she would have always chosen Ash, but now she isn’t sure that is what she wants anymore. Is she telling the truth? Could she really want to be with me over Ash? I mean she has never lied to me before and is always so brutally honest, I think…well I think I believe her but am I ready? Is this what I want? Once again tonight, she has blown my mind. She isn’t the woman I initially met; with each meeting her mask slips a little bit more. A mask I don’t want her to feel the need to wear around me. I want her too just be her.  
She finally said that we should get some sleep but not before telling me, “I understand, but I want you to know that I will go at your speed. I just want the chance to try to be the person you want and need. I’m scared too.”


	31. Ash

Once we land, I scoop up a sleeping Asher and head to the car. On the drive to Callie’s, I can’t help but think that maybe I’m not giving her a fair chance. I mean, I have been hanging out with her and Asher, but we haven’t actually been alone together except when he is in bed. I have been thinking a lot since the other night that I spent with Lexa and she made a good point about the fact that I can’t really move on until I resolve my feelings with Callie. I am just so afraid that if I let her back in, I might realize that she is the one I want and that will destroy Lexa.   
I know for a fact that I love Lexa but at one time I felt the same way about Callie and I never got closure on that relationship because I ran. I seem to always run away from her. What would happen if I actually stayed and tried? Would I realize that I do still love her and want to make a life with her and Asher, like we had always planned? What about Lexa, would she be okay? I don’t want to hurt her. We have been through so much together and I do love her but…if I don’t figure things out with Callie, how can I ever ask Lexa to trust me with her heart?  
Lexa on the other hand seems to have girls falling at her feet already, imagine what is going to happen after the fight. Maybe everyone was right all along and the only reason we were together was because of what we went through together and how much alike we are. I don’t know, but what I do know is that if I keep running to her, I will never figure out my feelings for Callie and that’s not fair to either one of them.  
I pull up to Callie’s house and carry Asher to the door where I am met by Callie. She leans into kiss Asher’s forehead and tells me to put him into bed and she will get us a glass of wine so that we can talk. As I walk to his bedroom all I can think is can she read my mind? How did she know I needed to talk?  
When I walk back out into the den, she is sitting on the couch with two glasses of wine. I smile and say, “How did you know that I needed to talk to you?”  
She laughs, “Ashley, I know all of your faces and the one you were wearing when I opened the door was one of confusion. So, what’s on your mind?”  
“Well, I realized that I haven’t really been fair to you…”  
“What do you mean? You have been amazing with Asher and helping me with him.”  
“That’s just it! I have only been here for Asher, not you. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with him but in order to figure out my feelings, I need to spend time with you also.”  
“I’m not sure I understand, Ashley. What are you saying?”  
“I’m saying that we need to go out on a date or spend some time together alone. I went out with Lexa the other night and well…things happened. I realized then that I need to distance myself from her so that I can see what we have, if anything.”  
“So, you are saying that you feel guilty because you fucked her and haven’t me! I think it is time you leave and I’m not sure we will be going to the fights after all.”  
“What? No that’s not what I meant! What I mean is that I want to give us a chance. I want to see if…I want to see if things can ever be the way they were between us. I enjoy being around you and Asher as a family and I want to find out how I feel about you. Am I making any sense? I know I am saying everything wrong, but I want us to try. I have really enjoyed the time we spent together but…Will you please let me take you and Asher to the fights and stay with me in my room? We can go out on a date just us tomorrow.”  
“Ashley, you were always bad with words, but your actions is where you excel,” she says smiling. “Look, you have been amazing with Asher and I do feel at times like we are a family but…well I’m just not sure. You just basically said that you can’t be alone with Lexa without having sex, so how am I supposed to feel about that.”  
“I realized after the other night that Lexa is safe to me. I know what to expect from her and know that she won’t leave me. I think I run to her when I need to feel something other than confusion. I know she will be there for me and give me whatever I need. What I also realized was that is not fair to either of you. It’s not fair to her because I shouldn’t want her just because she is safe. I should want her because I can’t live without her, but I’m not sure because I haven’t given you a chance because I’m scared. I’m scared if I give you a chance, you will hurt me again…but I realize that I need to take a chance in order to find out. So, if you are willing to let me, I want to take a chance with you.”  
“Ashley, that’s all I have ever wanted. I just want a chance to prove to you that I have changed and that I am still in love with you. I have never stopped loving you.”   
Callie leaned in and put her lips on mine and I felt butterflies in my stomach and a spark on my lips. I immediately pulled her closer and deepen the kiss. This kiss is different than the ones with Lexa, I’m not sure why but there is just something there that isn’t when I kiss her. I mean I enjoy kissing her but…I pull back and stare into Callie’s hazel eyes before saying, “Um…well, that was…amazing!”   
She just laughs at me and says, “I’ll say!”  
“So, does this mean you will go to the fights as my date?”  
“I don’t know if that is such a good idea. I mean won’t that upset Lexa on her big night?”  
“I didn’t think about that. I mean she said she didn’t mind if you came so why would it bother her?”  
“Really? I think you just don’t think before you speak sometimes. Just because she is okay with me coming doesn’t mean she is okay with me coming as your date.”  
“I’m confused. Why don’t I just ask her if it is okay?”   
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea either, but it is up to you.”  
“Fine, why don’t we just agree to go to the fight together with Asher and if he decides that he wants to hang out with Lexa at the meet and greet then we will go out on a date. Deal?”  
“So, you want to pawn our son off on your ex-girlfriend or whatever she is while we sneak off on a date? You really are crazy, you know that?”  
“Well, when you say it like that, I admit it sounds bad. But if you could have seen how excited Asher was to be around the fighters today and how good Lexa is with him you would understand what I mean. Here let me show you the pictures from today. Oh, and I should really tell you something, but you have to promise not to let him know you heard it from me.”  
“Ashley Fletcher what are you talking about?”  
“You really ought to monitor our son’s internet history a little better. He knew every fighter by name that we ran into while at the training center today. When I asked him how he knew so much about them he said, ‘don’t tell mom but I sneak and watch the fights on my tablet after she goes to bed.’ His words not mine. Anyway, he had the time of his life. Here look through the pictures.” I handed her my phone so she could scroll through them.  
When she handed it back to me, she said, “that little shit! I should take away his tablet and not let him go but he just looks so damn cute and happy. I can’t be mad at him and he looks so happy with Lexa at the Grand Canyon. I guess she will be a part of our life one way or another, huh?”  
“Yes, she will always be a part of my family. We have been through too much together and if it weren’t for her, I would be dead.” I lean in to kiss her and again I feel the spark and butterflies. I run my tongue across her lips, and she opens up for me. The kiss turns from slow to needy quickly and before I realize it, I have her laid back on the couch and I’m straddling her. Once I realize this, I get up quickly and start to apologize. “Callie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”  
She stands up and takes my hand, “Ashley, it’s okay. I want it just as much as you do but let’s go to the bedroom, so Ash doesn’t walk in on us.”  
“I don’t know, maybe we should take it slower. I mean…I don’t know what I mean. All I know is when I kiss you, I feel sparks and butterflies and I just get carried away, but I don’t want to confuse Asher and he will probably be up early in the morning. Do you have school tomorrow?”  
“No, it’s a holiday. Why?”  
“I will ask mom if she can watch Asher for us tomorrow so that we can spend the day together and go from there. How does that sound?”  
“It sounds fine, but not as good as you coming to bed with me right now.”  
“I know but we have to think about Asher too, sweetie. Bring Asher by the house tomorrow when you all get up, just text me when you are on the way.”  
“Fine, but when did you get to be so responsible? Let me at least walk you to the door and say goodbye.”


	32. Lexa/Clarke

The next morning, I wake up early and hear Clarke softly snoring. I get up quietly and write her a quick note saying that I will be up on the helipad training and leave the note and a rose on the pillow next to her. Then I head up to the gym to warm up on the treadmill before meeting Jose upstairs for a little capoeira training. I use my time on the treadmill to think about last night. I can’t get that kiss out of my head and I don’t know what to do. Normally, I would call Abby, but I don’t think that would be too smart in this case. I finally decide to stop by and see if O is up before meeting up with Jose. Of course, she is still sleeping, and I can’t call Ash. I wonder if Blake is able to talk. Nope he doesn’t answer either. Okay so maybe I should call Abby. I mean she is Clarke’s mom. Nope, I get her voicemail. I leave a message just saying hello and hope she is well.  
I guess Jose is going to be the lucky one who gets to be my sounding board today. As we start with the basic ginga, which is basically like a dance move, but it is the movement every other move in capoeira is based, I replay to Jose about last night with Clarke and the kiss. He is quiet at first just smiling at me which is a little unnerving. Finally, he says, “Maybe because you haven’t kissed many people, they all seem special to you.”  
“No, trust me. I have kissed more girls than you think. Remind me one day to tell you about the three years I spent as Alexander Shahir Jones. Besides, when I kissed Allie it was nice but nothing like Ash or Clarke. Now that I think about it, the other night when Ash and I were together I don’t remember there being that spark or fireworks, instead she felt like I was coming home. Which at the time I didn’t think much about but now, I don’t know?”  
Jose laughs, “Maybe it just means that she is like your home. You feel safe with her and because you have never really had a home of your own, she became home to you. Do you understand?”  
“No, not really.”  
“Okay, I will try to explain. A home is somewhere you feel safe, a place where you can go when everything seems out of control. A home is a place where you can live, laugh, and learn. It’s somewhere where you are love, respected, and cared for. For you instead of a house or building maybe it is Ash because until you met her you didn’t have any of those things. Maybe to begin with you thought it was love, but now that have been around other people and experienced having friends, you are beginning to realize that the reason you felt those things for Ash was because she was the first person that made you feel completely safe and cared for. So, now she represents your home, your safe place, a place you feel happy and when things get out of control, you know she will be there for whatever you need, which in your case seems to be connection or sex.”  
“I guess that could be true. I’m just so confused, up until I kissed Clarke, I would have sworn that Ash was my soul mate the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Now, I’m not sure. I want to try with Clarke, but I’m not sure the timing is right.”  
“That is something that you can’t control. You need to talk to Clarke and see what she is feeling and maybe do it without alcohol this time. Then maybe you need to have a conversation with Ash, as well.”  
I nod at him and he continues, “You know my mother used to believe that your body and heart always knew more about what you needed than your head. She said if you let your head lead you in matters of the heart you will always fail because your head overthinks everything. Your heart on the other hand, knows when it has found your ‘alma gemela’ or as you would say, soulmate. When your heart finds its other half (alma gemela) it lets you know by the way it makes you feel. I haven’t personally found my alma gemela but it sounds like the way you speak of fireworks, sparks and electricity that maybe your heart has found yours.”  
I laugh and thank him. He really is a smart guy when it comes to these things. We continue to train, practicing different moves. Jose takes me through some moves based off of the Aú, which is the capoeira term for what is more generally known as a cartwheel. It differs a bit from the traditional cartwheel because of their different intentions. An aú, in its base form, is performed very slowly, with arms and legs bent in order to keep a low target profile. Fighters sometime pause midway through an aú holding it for a handstand position, from which they can execute a wide variety of moves. Such as the the aú batido. It is an aú variation where a practitioner does a handstand, followed by a twist with the hips and a split, performing a downward martelo, which literally means "hammer", is generally defined as a strike with the instep, or lower part of the shin against the opponent's body; the most common target is temple of the head. During the kick, one arm is protecting the face while the other one is obviously supporting the body. Aú batido literally means "broken cartwheel".  
Around noon, Clarke wandered up and took a seat. I was going to stop training, but Jose was just about to show me how to perform the Meia Lua de Compasso, a move I was really interested in. The Meia-Lua de compasso (compass half-moon), is an attack that embodies the true element of Capoeira since it combines an evasive maneuver with a spinning kick. The transfer of power begins with the hand slamming into the ground and ending with the spin of the kicking heel. The power of the kick derives its energy from the similar centripetal force of a golf club swing. It has earned its place in capoeira as being called the "king of kicks".  
Jose shows me how to perform the move and I practice it for about twenty minutes before I really get the hang of it. Normally, I would continue practicing the move until I could perform it flawlessly, but since Clarke was here, I decided to call it a day. I thanked Jose and ask him if he would train with me in the mornings up until the fight. Of course, he agreed.  
I walked over to Clarke just as she got to her feet, “Did you sleep okay?”  
She blushed, “I must have died when I hit the bed. I’m sorry that I slept most of the day away. Um…thanks for…for everything last night and the flower this morning. It was nice waking up to it lying on the pillow.”  
“It’s fine, you needed it. As for the flower, I thought you needed it as well. Besides, I kept myself occupied. Are you hungry? I can get Patrona to whip us up some brunch.”  
“Actually, I’m starving.”  
“Me too. I will text her on the way down to my room. I really need a shower. What would you like to eat? I usually have a cheese omelet with salsa on the side, but I think I might add a steak to my order today. Patrona can make anything so just let me know what you want.”  
“Um…I think I will have a ham, cheese and bacon omelet.”  
I text Patrona our order and ask her to bring it down to my room. When we make it back to my room, I tell her to make herself at home and watch tv or whatever. I grabbed some clean underwear and headed to the shower. When I exited the bathroom in my sports bra and boxer briefs, I find Clarke laying on the couch where I had slept, watching some gameshow. I took a moment and stood in the doorway looking at how beautiful she looked laying there in my t-shirt and shorts. Her curly blonde hair was wild and untamed but still looked amazing caressing her round face.  
She finally noticed me and started to stutter, “Um…why…why are you standing there staring at me in your underwear?” I watched as her eyes took in my athletic body, stopping on my muscular abs that were still glistening with water before continuing down and then back up to my lips. She looked like she was sizing me up, but it’s not like she hasn’t seen my body before. I mean she was in the room when I had the physical yesterday.  
“Well…I was on my way to the closet to get dressed, but when I saw you laying there, I became distracted, so I stopped to admire the beautiful woman laying on my couch. Why are you looking at me like you’ve never seen me before?”  
Before she could answer there was a knock on the door and my phone started to ring. It was Abby. “Ya amar, can you get the door while I get dressed? Just tell Patrona to put the food on the table.” I ran into the closet and threw on some black skinny jeans, a pink tank top and my black Doc Martin boots before answering the phone. “Hello, Abby. How are you?”  
“I’m fine Lexa, what’s up?”  
“Um…what do you mean? I just called to check in with you and see how you are.”  
“Really? I don’t believe that for a minute. What’s really up? Is it something to do with Ash?”  
“Actually, no. I was going to get some advice about someone else but…well…” Clarke yells, “Hey, the food is going to get cold. Are you coming?”  
“Yeah, be there in a minute. I’m on the phone.”  
Abby is laughing through the phone, “Is that Clarke? Seriously, you were calling me about her, weren’t you?”  
“Well, yeah. But…I mean who else could I call. Octavia is asleep, Blake didn’t answer, and I can’t talk to Ash about it. I realize it complicates things because she is your daughter but…well I want her to give me a chance, a real chance.”  
“Look, I don’t know what is going on between you and Ash or you and Clarke. All I can say is communication. You need to communicate with them both. I have to go there is a trauma coming in.”  
“Okay, one last thing though. Is it okay with you if I date your daughter if she will let me?”  
“That is between you and Clarke. I will talk to you later.”   
I head out to the table, sit down, and start to eat and noticed that she was only picking at her food while I was devouring mine.  
“What’s wrong? I thought you were hungry.”  
“I was but now I can’t get out of my head. I talked to my mom this morning before I came upstairs and told her about breaking up with Finn.”  
I literally spit out a mouthful of water, “What? You talked to Abby already this morning?”  
“Well, yes. She is my mom.”  
“Why? And why did you just spit water everywhere when I mentioned my mom?”  
“Um…no reason. Sorry, continue. How did she take the news?”  
“She was surprisingly okay with it. I told her about how he had been cheating on me. It sort of sounded like she already knew or at least had some idea. Then she ask me a crazy question, she asked me if the reason I finally broke up with him was because I found someone else? Can you believe that?”  
“Um…well Abby is surprisingly good at reading people and she probably knows you better than anyone, so yeah I can believe it. What did you tell her?”  
“I…I told her that I had met someone who was unlike anyone I had ever met. I told her that this person was kind, caring, thoughtful, attentive, extremely handsome, had an amazing body and that I wanted to get to know them better. Do you know what she asked me next? She asked me if I was talking about you? How does she do that?”  
I choke on my swallow of orange juice, “Wh…What…you mean…does that mean you felt something also last night? Did you tell her it was me? What did she say? Did she tell you not to even think about getting involved with me?”  
She laughs, “Of course, I felt something last night. I’m simply terrified of what it means. I mean I just broke up with Finn and…Yes, I told her that it was you and she just laughed at me. When I asked why, she said she was surprised that it had taken me this long to realize that I might like women. She said she has known for a long time that I wasn’t happy with Finn and always thought I would be happier dating women, but she didn’t want to say anything. She also said that she thought that you were someone who would get my attention.”  
“So, did she tell you not to get involved with me, that she wants you to be with someone normal not someone who is from where I am? Did she tell you that I’m not good enough for you?”  
“What? Of course not, she told me that I should do what makes me happy. Even when I told her that I was afraid that you were still in love with Ash. She told me that I would never know if I didn’t take a chance. Why would you think that she would say any of that? You know she cares about you.”  
“Yeah, but there is a difference in caring about someone and being okay with them dating your daughter, especially when she knows everything about me. I mean she is who I called when something wasn’t right between Ash and me for advice. When I say she knows everything about me, I mean everything except what I told you last night. She knows about my time with Ash, hell she even helped me set up our first date! That is why I said that.”  
“When I told her about being scared of you choosing Ash if given the choice, she asked me if we had already been together. First, I couldn’t believe she would ask me that, but I told her the truth. I told her that you kept your distance because I was with Finn and it wasn’t until last night that we had even been alone together. Her response ‘that sounds like Lexa. She never wants to be the cause of anyone getting hurt so it makes sense that she would stay away.’ Then I told her about the kiss and what you said after it about Ash.”  
“So, you told her that I was confused and wasn’t sure about Ash? I bet then she told you to stay away and let me figure things out before you…”  
She interrupts, “Would you just stop? Why do you think that you aren’t good enough for me? Let me finish, please. She said that I would never know if I didn’t take a chance. She said that she knows you well enough to know that you will go as slow as I need, and you would never intentionally hurt me.”  
“Wow, I can’t believe she said that, but she’s not wrong. I also can’t believe she didn’t mention any of this a little while ago when I had her on the phone. I can be as patient as you need me to. Does this mean…does this mean you want to explore what we felt last night?”  
“I…I think it means that I am open to the possibility, but I’m not exactly sure what that means. Wait…did you say you were just on the phone with my mother? Why did my mother call you?”  
“Um…I just told you that she is the one I always call when I need relationship advice. I tried calling her earlier this morning, but she didn’t answer so I left her a message asking how she was doing and she called me back just now. I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have called her. I just didn’t know what to do or have anyone else to talk to about the kiss, but I didn’t tell her about it. I promise. She actually kinda blew me off, now I know why. Please don’t be mad.”  
She laughs, “I’m not, just surprised. I guess I should just be glad you are freaked out about it too. I’m still not sure what it means though. I just need some time.”  
“No problem, would you be open to the possibility of spending today with me?”  
“That depends on what you have in mind.”  
“I was thinking about taking my new motorcycle for a drive down the coast a bit. I haven’t had the time to ride it yet and I really haven’t seen much of the scenery other than the bars and clubs. We could go by the bike shop and pick you up a helmet and we could both get some gear and maybe you could show me around a bit. How does that sound?”  
“Um…I don’t know about motorcycles. They kind of scare me.”  
“I promise to be safe and go as slow as you need me to.”  
“Fine, but I need to go home first and change.”  
“How about I ride with you to your house and on the way back we stop by the bike shop and get the gear we need. I have some phone calls to make and I can do that while you do what you need to do at your house.”  
“Ok, sure.”  
When we arrive at Clarke’s house, I have a seat on the couch and start on my list of people I need to contact about the fight. First, I text Captain Miguel and let him know that he will be in charge of making sure the ship and crew are ready for the party after the fights and also for the cookout on Sunday. I let him know that Reed and Jose will be with me from Friday at nine am until after the cookout on Sunday the weekend of the fight.   
Next, I call Mickey when he answers, I say, “Hey, Mickey. Stryker here. Look I was asked by Dana and the UFC to step in last minute and fight. I thought you might want to make some money by betting on me to win. Anyway, I have you and Sloan tickets if you would like to come.”  
He replies, “Are you kidding me? How did you manage to get a fight in the UFC? Whatever it doesn’t matter, I would love to come but I have fights scheduled on Saturday and I have to be here for them. I will however let Sloan off so that she can go and place bets for me. I’m not about to miss the opportunity to make some of the money back you cost me last weekend.”  
“Great, will you let Sloan know if she wants to ride with us to be at the yacht the Friday before the fight at nine am.”  
“Will do. Good luck kid!”  
After I hang up with him, I sit there for a few minutes trying to figure out what to say when I call Allie. I feel bad because I really did want to get to know her better and maybe even date her until that kiss last night. That one kiss has changed everything and now I don’t know what to do. On one hand, we have only been out on one date and I did tell her that I didn’t want anything serious but then on the other hand isn’t serious exactly what I think I want with Clarke. How do I explain that to Allie without hurting her feelings or pissing her off?  
I finally decide to just call her and wing it. I dial her number and she answers on the third ring. “Hello, Stryker. How was your trip?”  
“It was good. I passed the physical and am good to go for the fight. I was able to get you a ticket to the fight if you would like to join the group and fly down with me the Friday before the fight.”  
“About that…don’t take this the wrong way. I had a great time with you and really do want to go out with you again, but I just got a call from the PGA and they want me on a plane tomorrow for England. Apparently, there is a tournament for rookies, and they want me to play in it. It is a great opportunity for me, but I will be gone at least a couple of months. I really can’t afford to turn down this chance.”  
“I completely understand and wouldn’t want you to pass up a chance to pursue your dreams. We can always catch up when you get back if you want.”  
“Definitely, and I will be watching you fight on TV. Good luck, my Stryker!”  
“Good luck to you, too.”  
Once Clarke has everything, she needs we head to the bike store and pick up what we need and head back to the yacht to change and then head down the coast. We spend the rest of the day riding along the coast and then stop for dinner at a small oceanside restaurant before heading back. I had an amazing time on my new bike with Clarke’s arms wrapped around me.  
The next couple of weeks are filled with training sessions during the day and going out at night with my friends. Things are kinda tense with Clarke and Finn, but he hasn’t really been around that much. As far as Clarke and me, we have spent some time together but mostly just with the group. I think that she is still scared. I hope that when she is ready, we will be able to explore our feelings for one another. Until then, I just decide to go with the flow and have fun.  
Charley  
I have to admit, I had a great time with Lexa on her motorcycle. The problem is since then I have been so busy at the hospital that I haven’t really had time to see her that much and when I do, it is usually with the group. I actually miss her when I can’t see her. I wish we could spend more time together alone, but she is busy training and I have work. Plus, Finn is still coming around and it makes things tense. I wish he would just stay the hell away, but he keeps showing up trying to talk no matter how many times I tell him no. I’m worried that Lexa is going to eventually tire of him bugging me and say something to him. So far though she has been respectful of my wish for time and space. I knew it was just a matter of time before Finn started something because I had been blowing him off and wouldn’t talk to him.  
It finally happened one night at the Dragon’s Den when he showed up already drunk. He came over to where the group was already seated and moved his chair so that it was in between mine and Lexa’s. I could tell by the look on her face she wasn’t happy, but she didn’t say anything right away. I could tell Finn was drunk, so I got up and went to the bar to put some space between us, but he followed me. He grabbed my hand and guided us to the end of the bar over by the restrooms saying he wanted to talk.  
Lexa  
I’m stunned for a minute when I see Finn has Clarke cornered and just stand there, until I snap out of it and realize what is happening. I ball up my fist and head toward Finn, when Octavia grabs me and says to wait and see what happens. She says maybe if he gets this off his chest, he will leave her alone. So, I move closer but wait to see how it plays out.  
He starts yelling at her saying, “You have got to be fucking kidding me. You broke up with me to be with that dyke. You are not like her; you love me, and we are going to have a family together and I’m eventually going to be President. You know that has always been our dream, kids, and the White House. Now come on we are leaving, now!”   
Charley pushes him away and says, “Finn that was always your dream. You never asked me what I wanted and until I met Lexa, I didn’t know that I had a choice. We are done and have been for almost a month. You were cheating on me; this has nothing to do with her and everything to do with you.”  
He says, “She’s the one who told you all those lies about me cheating and now I know why, because she wants you since Ash threw her to the curb and went back to Callie. She’s not going to be happy until she makes everyone miserable like she is. Now let’s go.”  
He grabs her by the arm and starts to pull on her arm. She pushes him and says, “I’m not going anywhere with you. Leave me alone.”  
He says, “Bullshit, you will do as you are told like always!” Then he raises his hand like he is about to hit her. That’s it I have seen enough; I pull away from O and go to Clarke. I step between her and Finn and say, “Leave her the fuck alone, Finn and I know you were not about to hit her. I’ve already told you if you ever touch her, I will kill you!”  
He starts laughing, “If you so much as touch me, I will have your ass thrown in jail for assault.”  
Clarke steps up beside me and says, “It’s okay Lex, he isn’t worth it. Finn, I think it is time for you to leave.”  
“I’m not leaving here without you so that we can talk. I will not let that bitch take advantage of you.”  
I take a step toward him, but Clarke grabs my wrist and says, “Finn, I’m not going anywhere with you ever again and if you ever put your hands on me again, I won’t stop her from kicking you ass once and for all.” About this time one of the bouncers came up and told Finn he had to leave and escorted him out but not before he screamed, “Bitch you haven’t seen or heard the last of me.”  
Once he was gone, I looked at Clarke and ask her if she was okay. She just nods yes.


	33. Lexa/Clarke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter includes a rape scene.

After Finn showed his ass, Clarke decided to head home. She said that she had an early morning at the hospital, but I think she is just upset. I ask her if I can take her home, but she says that she just needs some sleep and time to think. I ask, “Are you sure? I would feel a lot better if you would let me make sure you get home alright.”  
She says, “I promise, I’ll be fine. He isn’t stupid enough to try anything tonight. Besides, he is too drunk to drive. I will call you when I get home and if he does happen to show up you will be my first call.”  
“Fine, I will give you your space, but I don’t have a good feeling so please be careful.”  
She kisses me on the cheek and then walks out. I look over at O and say, “Shots?”  
She looks at me and says, “Sure.”  
Clarke  
On the ride home from the Dragon’s Den, I replay in my head the confrontation with Finn and begin to wonder if I should have let Lexa follow me home. I come to the conclusion that my initial thinking was right, and he is too drunk to drive over here tonight so I should be fine.  
When I get home, I get changed into my night shirt and head to bed because I have to be at the hospital at seven in the morning for morning rounds. I’m almost asleep when I hear someone banging and yelling at the door. When I get downstairs, I find Finn is the one doing the banging. I tell him to go away but he doesn’t. Instead, he says that if I don’t open the door, he is going to kick it in. I’m so scared that I freeze and can’t do anything but start to cry. Soon I hear the neighbor say that she is calling the police if he doesn’t leave. I guess this puts him over the edge and he kicks in the door. I try to run but he catches me in the dining room.  
I try to fight him off, but he is bigger and stronger than I am. He pushes me up against the table and rips my shirt open. I smack him across the face, and he backhands me. He begins to undo his belt and I try to run, but he pushes me down face first on the table and rips off my underwear. He holds me down with his forearm across the back of my neck as he undoes his pants and pushes his way inside me. I make one last attempt to get away by reaching around and scratching him, but it only pisses him off more and he thrusts harder causing me to grip the table’s edge and just shut down. I try to think about Lexa and how I wish she were here to protect me and how I want to get to know her better. Anything to keep from thinking about what he is doing to me. Unfortunately, I can’t focus on anything but the pain and his voice. He is talking nonstop about how I should have just stayed with him and this would’ve never happened. Instead, I had to go and let that bitch get in my head and make me think that I wanted her, but I really don’t because according to him, I’m not like her. He just won’t shut up. He goes on to say that after he is finished with me no one will ever want to be with me because I will be broken and every time, I start to have sex I will remember that it was him that ruined me for everyone else, especially that bitch, Lexa. All I can do is lay there and cry.  
Suddenly, I hear Lexa’s voice but that can’t be right because how would she know that I needed her. It has to be my wishful thinking. I hear Finn say, “Oh yeah, that’s right. I’m almost finished. Say my name, Clarke.” Then he collapse onto my back. Next thing I know he yells, “What the fuck!” and I feel him being pulled off of me.  
When I am able to stand, I turn around and see that it is Lexa and she has him in a coke hold whispering something into his ear before slamming him to the floor and pummeling him. How did she know to come?  
Lexa  
We have a couple of shots and then dance for a while but then I get this feeling in my gut that something is wrong. I can’t pinpoint it, but I just know that I need to get to Clarke because something is wrong. I find O and tell her that I have to go. She asks why and I tell her that I think something is wrong with Clarke and I just need to go. She says that she is coming with me and we rush out.  
When we pull up to Clarke’s house, we see Finn’s car parked sideways in her yard. I pull up to the curb and jump out. The neighbor comes running over and says, “I called the cops, but they haven’t arrived yet. He’s been here for about twenty minutes. He looked drunk and was banging on the door, but she wouldn’t let him in. I came out and told him I was calling the cops, but he told me to mind my own business.”  
I look at the old lady and ask, “Where is he now?”  
She says, “I’m not sure, but I think he kicked in the door a little while ago.”  
I look at Octavia and say, “Get your phone out and ready to record in case something happens. I’ve learned that this helps when the cops ask for what happens.”  
I take off running with O right behind me. When I get to the door, I see that it has been kicked in and I start yelling for Clarke. I hear crying and yelling coming from the dinning room. I rush in and was stopped dead in my tracks at what I saw. I stopped so suddenly that O ran into the back of me. He apparently doesn’t hear us come in and what I see makes the darkness start to creep in.  
He has Clarke bent over the dining room table with her t shirt ripped and her underwear is missing. His pants are around his ankles and he is thrusting himself into her while holding her down with his forearm across the back of her neck so that she can’t move. She is gripping the edge of the table so hard that her knuckles are white. I hear him saying, “You know you like it ruff like this and your little dyke can’t give it to you like I can.”  
Clarke whimpers, “Finn stop!” But he doesn’t he just keeps going.  
It only takes seconds for me to evaluate the scene and take all of this in. I hear O say, “Oh my God.” Right before I grab him from behind in a coke hold and pull him off of   
Clarke.  
He yells, “What the fuck!” and then when he realizes it is me, he starts to laugh. I start to squeeze tighter around his neck, and he says, “Sorry, bitch, she’s worthless to you now that she has had a real man. She doesn’t need you, right Clarke. Now that you have been violated no one will want you and you will always remember who broke you. You…”  
He isn’t able to finish his sentence because I cut off his air supply and he begins to turn blue. All I have to do is squeeze a little harder and I will snap his neck but that is too good for him. It would be painless, and he deserves lots of pain. I release the hold on his neck, and he stands gasping for air. Once he is breathing again, he begins to laugh and says, “I thought you are a big bad killer so why did you let me go?”  
“I let you go because I need you to feel pain like Clarke did. The last person that raped someone I cared about lost his head to my sword along with his dick. Unfortunately, I had to kill him quickly, but lucky for me, I get to take my time with you.”  
He looks startled for a second and then lunges at me. I dodge his fist and sweep his legs so that he lands hard on the floor. As soon as he lands, I’m on top of him landing punch after punch to his face. I hear Octavia and Clarke yelling for me to stop but by this time the darkness has taken over and I am on a mission to make him feel helpless just like she did.  
O finally tackles me to get me to stop but I throw her off and take a step towards him. Clarke yells, “Alexandria Sahar Trikru stop.”  
Her voice and that name stops me dead in my tracks and the darkness starts to recede. That is until I hear him grunt and say, “You were too late, bitch. I finish what I start.”  
I pull out my knife and dive onto him, placing the knife against his dick. “I may have been too late to stop you, but who is going to stop me from cutting this off and using it to violate you like you did her.”  
In my fit of rage, I didn’t hear the cops show up until the male officer said, “I’m going to need you to get off of him and put down the knife.”  
I look up to see two officers standing there looking at me. I say, “I can’t do that until I make him feel the way she did, helpless.”  
The female officer says, “It’s okay now. By the looks of his face, I think he understands what it feels like to be helpless. Please just calm down and put down the knife. I don’t want to have to use my taser on you or arrest you so just put it down.”  
“You don’t understand! He needs to feel the pain of being violated. Getting the shit beat out of you is nothing compared to how it feels to have someone force themselves on you like he did to her.” I can feel the tears flowing down my cheeks now and I hate the fact that I can’t control them.  
Finn finally comes to his senses and says, “Get her off of me. She attacked me while I was having sex with my girlfriend because she is jealous.” Then he notices my tears and says, “Is the big bad hero crying? Aw, you are so weak!”  
That’s it I snap. I let the knife go and land a hard elbow to his head knocking him out. Then I roll off of him and get up. Clarke runs to me and I open my arms to catch her. As soon as she is in my arms, she buries her head in my chest and starts to cry. I just hold her and kiss the top of her head until the female officer walks over to us and says, “Do you have any more weapons on you?”  
I look over the top of Clarke’s head and say, “Yes ma’am I do. I have another knife in the sheath on my belt. Would you like for me to get it or do you want to?”  
She says, “I would appreciate it if you would slowly take it from your belt and hand it to me. Then we can figure out what happened here, once I know everyone is safe.”  
I do as I’m told and slowly hand her the knife. She introduces herself as officer Ava Allison and her partner is officer Kaden Ware. I in turn introduce myself, O, and Clarke. Then I tell her the scumbags name is Finn. She asks what happened and before I can answer, Octavia and the neighbor tell her that they have most of it on camera.  
While they look at the evidence, I just hold Clarke. When the paramedics arrive, they start to work on Finn. It doesn’t take long for him to come too and start yelling and screaming for them to arrest me for assault with intent to kill. Once he is stabilized and cleared by the medics, officer Ware cuffs him and puts him into the patrol car and listens to his side of the story.  
Once everyone realizes what actually happened, the paramedics ask Clarke if she want them to do a rape kit so that she can press charges. She looks at me like she wants me to tell her what to do but I say, “Ya amar, it is up to you. I support whatever you choose to do.”  
She turns to officer Allison and asks, “If I do press charges for rape, will there be a trail?”  
She replies, “More than likely given who his parents are yes. I know their type and they are going to try and make out like he is innocent and…it won’t be pretty. I do suggest going ahead and letting them do the kit and collect the evidence just in case you change your mind, or they try and turn it around on your girlfriend.”  
I start to stutter, “What? We-we aren’t…she isn’t my-my girlfriend. She’s just a…what do you mean turn it around on me. I didn’t do anything but protect her.”  
Officer Allison says, “I know, and we have the cell phone video to prove that along with everyone’s statement but his dad is the mayor so there is no telling what they will try.”  
Clarke speaks up, “Fine, I will let them collect whatever they need for evidence as long as they can do it in the ambulance. I don’t want to go to the hospital because I work there, and I want this to stay between everyone that is here, and I don’t want anyone else to find out. I don’t want to pursue the rape charge, but I do however want to get a restraining order against him since he did break into my house.”  
Officer Allison turns to the paramedic and says for Clarke to follow her to the ambulance. Clarke reaches her hand out to me and I take it and follow her. About and hour later, the cops have all the evidence they need, and the reports filed. She leaves us her card and tells us to call if we need anything and then they leave taking Finn with them charging him with breaking and entering, public intoxication and DUI.  
Once they are gone, I ask Clarke, “Do you want me to stay here with you tonight or do you want to come home with me? I’m not leaving you alone.”  
“First I want to take a long hot shower and then I want to go home with you. I just need to get my work clothes and a few things. Is that okay with you?”  
“That is perfect.” I look at O and hand her the keys to the jeep and say, “You take the jeep, and I will stay here and drive her back to the yacht. We will see you at home in a little while and remember that she doesn’t want anyone to know about this.”  
Octavia takes the keys and says, “I understand. I will see you at home.”  
While Clarke gets a shower and collects what she needs, I rummage around the garage and find the materials needed to secure the door until we can have it repaired.


	34. Ash

Of course, when I get home, mom is sitting at the table with the wine already poured. I should be used to this by now, but it is still strange that she knows when I am going to need to talk. I take a seat at the table and she says, “So, how did it go?”  
“It was great. Asher is apparently a huge UFC fan and he had an amazing time. Lexa passed the physical and was cleared to fight.”  
“And?”  
“And what?”  
“Is that all that happened?”  
“How do you do that? No, I realized that I need to spend more time with Callie in order to give her a fair chance. After the other night with Lexa, I figured out that if I continue to run to her because she is safe and I know she won’t hurt me, it isn’t fair to either one of them. Then when I dropped off Asher, I had a talk with Callie about it and we decided to go out on a date tomorrow, just us. By the way, can you keep Asher for us?”  
“Sure, I can keep him. I’m glad you finally figured out that you weren’t giving her a fair chance. I know this is hard for you, but I really think it is for the best that you figure it out sooner rather than later.”  
“Yeah, me too. Thanks mom.”  
The next morning, Callie text me at seven and said that Asher was up. I laughed and told her to come over around eight and we could all have breakfast together. When I went downstairs, mom was already up and reading the paper at the kitchen table. I said good morning and then started to cook breakfast.  
She looked at me and said, “Why are you cooking?”  
“Callie and Asher are on their way over for breakfast.”  
She just smiled and started to help. It wasn’t long before they arrived, and we all sat down and ate. When we were finished, Callie and I decided that we were going to go shopping and maybe see a movie before going back to her place and I ended up spending the night with her while mom kept Asher.  
It felt really good being with her, even after all the time apart it seemed like we still knew everything about one another’s bodies. We talked about high school and her job as a teacher. Hell, we even talked about some of my time undercover. She was easy to talk to and for once, I didn’t feel guilty or think about Lexa while I was with her. We spent the night getting reacquainted with each other’s bodies and it was amazing. It was like we had never been apart.  
I spent as much time with Callie and Asher as I could over the next few weeks and only saw Lexa when I was helping her train. I think after the first week she knew something was up, but she didn’t say anything. Finally, I felt that I should just tell her what was going on.   
After the second week of Callie and I being together, I couldn’t take keeping it from Lexa anymore. So, after we finished one of our training sessions, I asked her if we could talk.   
She said, “I wondered when you were going to bring it up?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Ash, I know you well enough to know that you have been keeping your distance from me since we got back from Vegas. I figured you would tell me why when you were ready.”  
“Oh, I’m sorry I haven’t said anything but…well I just don’t really know how to talk to you about these things…”  
“How about you just tell me what is on your mind. I know it has something to do with Callie or you wouldn’t be acting this way. I thought we had decided early on to be open and honest with one another about things, so just spit it out.”  
“Fine, after we spent that night together, I realized that I wasn’t being fair to Callie by keeping her at a distance and not giving her a chance. I also realized that if I keep running back to you, that I would never give her a fair chance because I know you would never hurt me, but I was afraid that she would. Then I thought about what you had told me before about not wanting me to choose you because you were safe so…well…I have been spending a lot of time with Callie and things are going good so far but…”  
“Let me stop you right there, Ash. You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine. I promise. I just want you to be happy. I have had a lot of time to think over these past few weeks as well and I have also come to realize that maybe we did rush into things because of what we went through together and…I don’t know. What I do know is that I want you in my life, no I need you in my life. You are the only person who knows everything about me and can relate to what I went through so please don’t cut me out of your life.”  
“Lexa, I would never do that. I just wanted to be honest with you about where things were going. I need you in my life to…”   
“Look, Jose said something to me the day after we spent the night together that makes a lot of sense to me, especially now. I told him that being with you was like going home, things with you just felt right when we were together. He said that maybe ‘she is like your home. You feel safe with her and because you have never really had a home of your own, she became home to you.’ The more I think about it the more I understand what he means. You are my home, the place where I feel the safest and I will always need you, but I think that…well, maybe we are better off as friends.”  
I don’t know what to say, so I grab her in a hug, and I realize that she is right. She feels like home to me as well. I know she will always keep me safe and be there for me when I need her. I will always love her but not like I do Callie. I pull back from her and say, “Lexa I really am sorry for everything.” I pull off the ring she gave me and hand it to her, “I guess it’s time for me to give this back to you.”  
She pushes it back into my hand and says, “No, keep it as a promise that I will always be here if you need me.”  
“Thanks, I will always be here for you as well. Are you sure you are going to be alright?”  
“Yes, I promise. I will be fine. I have known this was coming since we spent the night together, for some reason it just felt different. I mean it was amazing as always but simply different. Since we are being honest, I kissed Clarke the night we went to Vegas. When I kissed her, it was different from when I kissed you that is when I realized what Jose had said made since. Not that kissing you is bad…I mean…”  
I interrupt her, “I know what you mean. It was the same way when I kissed Callie that same night. Are you and Clarke dating now?”  
“No, she is scared, and I understand. I told her I would give her the time and space she needs to figure things out. She just broke up with her cheating boyfriend not long ago so…”  
“I’m sorry, Lexa. What is she scared of?”  
“Actually, you. She is scared that I will always choose you over her.”  
“What? Do you want me to talk to her or something?”  
“Nope, I just want to give her the time she needs to figure it out for herself. I’m really glad that you are happy. Do you think that Callie would be up for bringing Asher over to ride on the jet ski’s?”  
“I can ask. Are you sure that you will be okay with us coming over as a couple? I mean I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”  
“Ash it’s fine, besides, I need to get used to it at some point. The better question is whether or not Callie will be okay being around me? How about you bring them over tomorrow after our training session and I will invite Clarke and some of the guys over so maybe it won’t freak Callie out as bad.”  
“Thanks, that sounds good and maybe Clarke will see that I am with Callie and give you a chance.”  
“That was part of my plan.”  
I laugh, “I’m glad that we are starting to get things figured out. I will see you tomorrow.”


	35. Lexa/Clarke

After Clarke and I made it home last night, I tried to talk her into staying home tomorrow instead of going to work, but she said that she was already having to take time off to go to the fights with me so she really couldn’t. She also said that work would keep her mind off of everything that had happened.  
I didn’t want to push her to hard so I let it go with the condition that if she needed to talk, she would let me know. I started getting the couch ready for me to sleep on when she ask, “Do you think…uh…um would you mind sleeping with me tonight?”  
“Um…sure if that is what you need. I will do anything; all you have to do is ask.” I go over to the bed and pull down the covers and get in laying on my back on the right side of the bed. She crawls in next to me and asks if I will hold her, so I open up my arms and she lays her head on my chest. I’m not sure what to do with my hand so I just begin to rub her back. It doesn’t take long for her to fall asleep.  
The next morning my alarm goes off at five like usual. I start to ease my way out of bed, but Clarke tightens her grip and mumbles, “Please don’t go.”  
I kiss her forehead and say, “Ya amar, I have training, and don’t you have to get ready for work?”  
“What time is it?”  
“It’s five AM. Do you want breakfast?”  
“Shit, I have to get ready for work.” She starts to sit up but winces in pain.  
“Are you okay? Can I do anything?”  
“I’ll be fine. I’m just sore. I will need to go by the pharmacy on my way to work and pick up a Plan B though. How about I get a shower and meet you upstairs for breakfast before I head to work.”  
“That sounds good, but what is a Plan B?”  
“Um…it’s a pill to make sure I don’t get pregnant since Finn didn’t bother to use protection. I don’t want to…well, I don’t want to have his kid. So, just in case I will take the pill.”  
“Oh, okay. Please remember if you need to talk, I’m here. See you upstairs.” I lean in and kiss her on the cheek.  
After Clarke left for work, Jose and I worked out for about an hour before Ash got here for the second part of my training. Once we were finished, Ash said she needed to talk to me. Well, Ash finally told me about her, and Callie and it feels surprisingly good to get it out into the open. I mean I basically knew something was up already, but I was giving her time to tell me. Now maybe Clarke will see that Ash is no longer a threat to her and she will give me a chance. I send a group text to the guys about getting together tomorrow after my morning training session to have some fun with the water toys.  
Then I send a text to O, Jose and Reed telling them to meet me at the fire pit for drinks in about twenty minutes. I go down to the spa for a cryo session before getting a shower and throwing on some sweats. Even though I am glad to know where I stand with Ash, letting go isn’t painless. I know she will always be there for me but what we had in the desert was amazing and I will never forget it.  
Lauren and her people have finally finished with all the changes to my room and the rest of the boat and I have to admit, it is pretty awesome. I can’t wait to show Asher his room tomorrow. I just hope Callie doesn’t get made about it. I had it decked out in UFC gear and posters. I had a loft bed put in that holds a kid sized heavy bag under it, along with a speed bag. It looks like his own little gym. I haven’t even shown Ash yet.  
When O and the guys get there, I have the shot glasses and tequila ready. Octavia says, “What’s wrong? Why are we day drinking?”  
I laugh, “Why does something have to be wrong in order to day drink?”  
Jose says, “Well, you don’t normally day drink, especially since you are training for a fight next week.”  
“Fine, you got me. Ash finally told me about her and Callie being together and before you say anything, I’m fine and knew it was coming. It just…well, it still hurts some even though I agree that what we had is over.”  
O says, “I know it sucks, but now maybe Clarke will see she has nothing to worry about.”  
“Exactly, that’s why I invited everyone over tomorrow. Ash is going to bring Asher and Callie so, I thought if we had more people over it wouldn’t be as awkward and then Clarke could see that Ash and Callie are together.”   
Reed shakes his head, “You must really like this girl if you are willing to be around Callie and Ash together. I mean I would think that it would be painful to see her with Callie after what you two once had.”  
“Well, we are all going to have get used to being around one another at some point. Besides, I realize that what Ash and I had was more than likely a result of what we went through together, and we will always be a part of one another’s life, just not like we had thought. We are friends and will always be there for each other no matter what.”  
Octavia says, “I’ll drink to that. Hey, why don’t we go to that Mexican place you like so much and then text everyone to meet up at the Dragon’s Den tonight?”  
“Sure, that sounds good.”   
I decide that I am going to go out and have fun tonight and not think about anything other than having fun. I want to dance and drink and just let loose for a change. These last couple of weeks have been intense with training and the awkwardness between Ash and me and Clarke and me. Then with everything that happened last night, I just hope that Clarke will feel like coming out. Tonight, I’m just going to see what happens.  
The Dragon’s Den is packed as usual, which is fine with me. I walk in and grab what has become our table in the corner. I like it because I can see everyone come and go. I go ahead and order a bottle of Patron and have a few shots while I wait on everyone else to arrive. O is already on the dance floor with a hot red head. I don’t have to wait long until Jess and Angie arrive. They are usually the first to arrive and are always ready for shots. It’s funny how well Jess and I get along considering she is Callie’s younger sister, but we do. After a few more shots, I’m feeling rather good and decide to head out and join O.  
About an hour later, I’m feeling really good and the crew is all here, well except for Finn but I’m glad he isn’t here, and he better have enough sense not to show up especially with the restraining order. Clarke actually showed up and said she was off for the next few days in order to go to the fight and things which made me extremely happy. Hopefully, she would like to spend some of her free time with just me. She must be feeling alright because I coerced her to dance with me a few times. There is a break in the music, and someone comes over the microphone and says that karaoke will be starting soon so everyone should come and sign up.  
I let out a groan, just thinking about singing in front of people makes me nervous. I have to admit though it was kind of fun once I was up there. I follow Jessie up to sign up and O comes up behind me and says, “Yep, we are definitely doing it after we were such a hit last time.”  
I jokingly say, “I don’t think so, I’m not that drunk.” Even though I have already signed up and also told Jessie that I would sing with her as well.  
O laughs, “Well, we can fix that easily enough. Bartender a round of fireball, please.”  
We take a few shots of fireball and a couple of yager bombs and listen to people murder one song after another. While I’m waiting on my turn to sing, I take a few shots, I sit there and watch everyone on the dance floor. They all seem so happy with their partners and I realize that’s what I want. I don’t like the one-night stands, I want something more and I want it with Clarke. I decide I want to let Clarke know how I feel by singing to her. Now that I have finally cleared the air with Ash, I want to let Clarke know that I am all in, whenever she is ready. I want her to know that I chose her, not because Ash went back to Callie but because when I kissed her, she changed everything for me. I ask O to help me pick out a song.  
When it is Jess’s turn, she grabs me and pulls me up to the stage with her. When we get up there, she tells the DJ Crave by Thomas Rhett. She looks at me and says, “You take lead, and I will sing back up.” The song begins and I sing looking at Clarke. Every time we have to say goodbye/I'm counting down until we say hello/Every touch is like the strongest drug/I don't know how much longer I can go/I never had something that I can't walk away from/But, girl, my self-control's so paralyzed/When it comes to you, no, I ain't got no patience/There's something 'bout you girl I just can't fight/Jess comes in, You're like that cigarette/That shot of 100 proof/No matter how much I get/I'm always craving you/That feeling when we kiss/The way your body moves/No matter how much I get/I'm always craving you/Craving you/All the in-between is killing me/You know I come unglued from missing you/Sunset eyes, no, I don't have to try  
Because you know exactly what to do. Jess comes in for the chorus, I never had something that I can't walk away from (walk away from)/But, girl, my self-control's so paralyzed/When it comes to you, no, I ain't got no patience (I ain't got no patience)/There's something 'bout you I just can't fight/You're like that cigarette/That shot of 100 proof/No matter how much I get/I'm always craving/That feeling when we kiss/The way your body moves/No matter how much I get  
I'm always craving you/Craving you/(I'm always craving you)/Craving you/Craving you/Every time we have to say goodbye/I'm counting down until we say hello/Every touch is like the strongest drug/I don't know how much longer I can go/(Yeah, yeah, yeah)/You're like that cigarette/That shot of 100 proof/No matter how much I get/I'm always craving/That feeling when we kiss/The way your body moves/No matter how much I get/I'm always craving you, yeah  
Craving you/Craving you(I'm craving you baby)/Clarke I'm craving you/I'm craving you babe  
As soon as that song is over Octavia comes running up on stage with a shot of tequila for me and tells the DJ to play Way to Pretty for Prison by Miranda Lambert. I laugh and down the shot and start to sing. They don't have rhinestone ball and chains/Lunch trays don't come with Chardonnay/The bars there ain't got boys to buy us drinks, I add which is ok, we don’t like them anyway/We'd stick out like two bottled blondes/I must admit it don't sound fun/For fifteen girls to have to share one sink. O comes in to help with the chorus, He cheated, he's a villain/And you know I'd help you kill him/But you're way too pretty for prison/Hard time ain't our kind of living  
And I don't want to talk about/The way those jumpsuits wash us out/We're way too pretty for prison/ Here it comes back to me and I change the words a little, I can put Antifreeze with his Gatorade/Arsenic in his lemonade/Takes just one snip to bleed his brakes/But we ain't gonna do it/(She ain't gonna do it)/But I might just do it/Yeah, we've been watching too much TV/You ain't Thelma, I ain't Louise/But if we ask 'em they'd both agree/We should put him through it/(Don't put him through it)/I think I will put him through it. O comes in again, He cheated, he's a villain  
So let's hire somebody to kill him/'Cause we're way too pretty for prison/Yeah, hard time ain't our kind of living/And I don't want to talk about/The way those jumpsuits wash us out/We're way too pretty for prison/La de da da da/(La de da da da)/La de da da da/(La de da da da)/La de da da/La de da da/La de da da da/Well, the state won't pay for lash extensions/No Sun Tan City, not to mention/That lack of waxing situation/Oh oh. We run the chorus one last time and then we’re done.  
We walk back to the table laughing and Clarke looks at me and smiles. I grab another shot and then sit down beside her. Octavia says, “Would you really do it, if you could get away with it?”  
I laugh and say, “In a heartbeat, even if I didn’t get away with it. I’ve been in one prison or another my whole life so I’m quite sure I would survive, and it would be worth it to know that he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.”  
Clarke leans in and whispers, “I would never want you to go to prison for me, but it is nice to know that you would.” Then she kisses me on the cheek.  
Jess speaks up, “I feel like the rest of us are missing out on part of the conversation. What’s so funny about that song?”  
Clarke turns pink and says, “Really, Jess. Why don’t you think about it for a while and see if you can figure it out?” O, Clarke, and I die laughing, while Jess has a look of utter confusion on her face.  
When it’s my turn I down a shot and then take the microphone and start to sing I can’t fight this feeling by REO Speed wagon. I look at Clarke and start to sing, Oh, I can't fight this feeling any longer/And yet, I'm still afraid to let it flow/What started out as friendship, has grown stronger/I only wish I had the strength to let it show/I tell myself that I can hold out forever/I said there is no reason for my fear/'Cause I feel so secure when we're together/You give my life direction/You make everything so clear. I add, “I want you Clarke and no one else.”   
Dom joins me for the chorus: And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight/You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night/And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might/And I can't fight this feeling anymore/I've forgotten about Ash and what I thought I wanted what I started fighting for is no more/It's time to bring this ship into the shore and show you how I feel/And throw away the oars, forever/Cause I can't fight my feelings for you anymore/I've forgotten what I started fighting for/And if I have to crawl upon the floor/Come crashing through your door/Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I sing the second verse: My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you/I've been running round in circles in my mind since we kissed/And it always seems that I'm following you, girl/'Cause you take me to the places that, alone, I'd never find  
Again, O joins me for the chorus, when we get to the part about, I can’t fight this feeling anymore, I step off the stage and start to walk towards Clarke. She starts looking around and then I take a few quick steps and slide across the floor as I sing if I have to crawl upon the floor/Come crashing through your door. I come to a stop at her feet and then stand up and take her hand and finish strong with, Baby, I can’t fight my feelings anymore.  
When I finish the place erupts into cheers. O looks at me with a huge smile, but I can only see Clarke. When I finally find my voice I say, “What can I do to prove to you that I am over Ash and ready to move on?” Everyone is staring at us, but I don’t care. I need to know. Her cheeks are red at this point and I think that she is about to run, but to my surprise she pulls me in and kisses me deeply. Everyone starts clapping. When I pull away, I look into her beautiful emerald eyes and ask, “Does this mean…” I don’t get to finish my sentence because Finn grabs Clarke from behind, pulling her away from me. I’m stunned for a minute and just stand there, until I snap out of it and realize what is happening. I ball up my fist and head toward Finn, I can’t believe the asshole is here.  
Charley pushes him away and says, “Finn how are you even out of jail right now? You know you aren’t supposed to be near me. We are done and have been for almost a month. You were cheating on me; this has nothing to do with her and everything to do with you. Now leave before I call the cops.”  
He says, “You knew that my dad would get me out of jail, so I don’t know why you are so surprised. Now let’s go.”  
He grabs her by the arm and starts to pull on her arm. She pushes him and says, “I’m not going anywhere with you. Leave me alone.”  
He says, “Bullshit, you will do as you are told like always!” Then he raises his hand like he is about to hit her. I grab him from behind as Clarke kicks him hard in the nuts and I let him go to slump onto the floor holding himself. I dial Officer Allison’s number and tell her what just happened, and she tells me to tell the bouncer to hold him until she can get here.  
Finn is still laying on the floor when Officer Allison gets here. I think at some point he must have passed out because when she checks he is unconscious. When she rolls him over, I notice that he has pissed himself and has what looks like blood on his pants. She calls for an ambulance and they arrive a few minutes later and take him to the hospital. Officer Allison takes everyone’s statement and then heads out.  
Once she was gone, I looked at Clarke and ask her if she was okay. She just nods yes. The next person up starts singing and it seems like everyone is going back to what they were doing. I look at O and say, “I think that I am going to call it a night and head home. Clarke, would you like to come stay with me tonight just to make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid? That is if he gets out of the hospital tonight. Remind me not to let you kick me.”  
She looks at me and says, “Ha ha very funny. Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I’m sorry that he ruined your…well, your romantic gesture. It was really amazing, and you have an awesome voice.”  
I can feel my cheeks heat up and the rest of the guys circle around and everyone starts telling me how great I sing and how romantic me singing to Clarke was. Then they switch to how they can’t believe Finn made such a scene after he was the one that was caught cheating. I just shake my head and say, “I can, he never liked me, and he is pissed because it was me that caught him. I guess he thought that out of everyone Clarke wouldn’t believe me.”  
Sami spoke up and said, “I had seen him out with other women before, but I could never catch him doing anything incriminating enough to warrant bringing it up to Clarke. He was pretty careful about going places that none of us ever went. I had my suspicions but nothing concrete. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner Clarke, but I wanted to be sure first.”  
Clarke replies, “It’s okay, I had my suspicions too. I just didn’t want to believe it. Hell, I almost didn’t believe it when Lexa told me even though she had pictures. Anyway, I’m sorry that he ruined our night out. Well, I guess I will see everyone tomorrow at Lexa’s for some fun in the sun.”  
The ride back to the docks was quiet. I could tell Clarke was upset and I wanted to give her time to process everything. As we walked to the Untouchable, she grabbed my hand and said, “Thank you.”  
I was confused so I ask, “For what?”  
“Well, being so patient for one but…also for that amazing song you sang. I can’t believe you did that. Why didn’t you tell me you could sing?”  
“You’re welcome. I don’t usually sing in front of people, usually only in the shower. I was just sitting there watching all the couples and how happy they were, and I just wanted to do something to let you know how I feel about you and well…it just sorta happened. As far as being patient, I feel like you are worth the wait. Just know that I am here when you are ready. You can trust me, you know, that right?”  
She looked at the ground and then up to me and nodded, “But what if…what if I’m never ready? I never thought that I’d want to be with a woman. I just always assumed that I would marry Finn and I would end up, I don’t know. When I met you, it was…I was, uh…When I met you, it scared me to death…and then when we kissed it only scared me more. I tried to push you away by being cold and mean but you just seemed to shrug it off and never hold it against me. I mean…well I’m scared and…um…I have never been with anyone but Finn and until you came along had never even thought of being with a woman. What if…what if I don’t like it or I don’t know what to do?”  
I lean in and kiss her on the cheek, “Ya amar, don’t worry about any of those things. I’m not going anywhere and I don’t want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable. You let me know what you want and need, and I will be there and if at some point you realize it’s not for you…well we will figure it out. Understand?”  
“Thank you.”  
When we get down to my room, I grab her a pair of sweats and t-shirt to sleep in. While she changes, I get the couch set up for me with a blanket and pillow. It is already around one a.m. and I am ready to crash especially since I have an early morning training session. So, I am laying on the couch when she comes out of the bathroom.  
She comes out and looks at me laying on the couch and says, “You know you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”  
I say sleepily, “Huh? I want you to have the bed. I am fine here on the couch.”  
She laughs, “No, silly. I mean we can share the bed…but just for sleeping.”  
“No, it is okay. I don’t mind sleeping here. I don’t want you to feel pressured to sleep with me just because I sang you a song.”  
“You know, you can really be an idiot sometimes. What I am saying is, that I would really like it if you would please sleep with me again tonight. I would really like to wake up beside you.”  
“What…oooh okay. I can do that for sure. Is it okay to snuggle or…”  
She chuckles at me. “Of course, silly. I would love to snuggle with you.”  
We spent the night in each other’s arms, sleeping. It was the best night’s sleep since the night I last spent with Ash. Unfortunately, five a.m. came too quickly. I wake up early and I am lying on my side and Clarke is all wrapped up around my body, hugging me from behind softly snoring in my ear. In her sleep, she has molded herself against my back. The crazy thing about it is how comfortable and at ease I feel in Clarke’s embrace. It was just so damned perfect. Our two bodies fit as if they had been custom-made for each other. Clarke has a single arm draped around my neck, and I was clutching onto her left hand.   
Clarke was sleeping so peacefully that I wished I could just lay here and watch her sleep but if I didn’t get upstairs to train, Ash would come looking for me. So, I carefully extracted myself from her embrace and got up. I left her a note letting her know that I would be upstairs training and laid it along with a rose on my pillow.  
Clarke  
When I wake up, there is once again a sweet note and a rose on the pillow beside me. I could really get used to this, but I would really rather wake up and find her still beside me. It is crazy how well I slept last night in her arms. I have never felt so safe and loved. I still can’t believe she sang me that amazing song last night and even changed some of the words for me. I just wish Finn hadn’t ruined the moment.  
I wish I weren’t terrified of starting a relationship with her. She really is an amazing woman. I just can’t wrap my head around being attracted to another woman and how does it even work. I mean there are just so many things that I have questions about, but she said that we would work everything out. I wish I could just get out of my head! When I’m with her everything seems so…I don’t know perfect…safe. It feels like I’m the only person in the world in her eyes when we are with each other. I really wish mom were here to help me sort everything out. Ugh, I head to the shower and try and relax some before I go upstairs. I really want to watch Lexa train for a little bit before I head home.  
When I get upstairs, Ash is there with Jose and Lexa and I feel…I don’t know what I feel. We had such a great time last night and I loved being in her arms but here Ash is, and it makes me wonder if she is truly over her. When Lexa sees me, she smiles and waves before coming over. When she gets to me, she leans in like she is going to kiss my cheek but for some stupid reason, I step away.  
The hurt in her eyes almost too much for me and I feel tears building. She asks me if I’m okay and to stay for breakfast, but I brush her off and say that I need to get home. I use the excuse that I need to get my swimsuit. I know I hurt her, and I have no idea why except that I’m scared that she still loves Ash even though she says otherwise. Even though she is hurt, she says, “Hold on and let me go with you, just in case Finn…”  
I interrupt her and say, “Thanks, but I just need some space. I’ll be fine.” Then I just walk away. What the hell is wrong with me?


	36. Lexa/Ash

By the time I made it upstairs to the training ring, Ash was already there with Jose getting everything set up. Today was supposed to be a light training session, one because the fight was day after tomorrow and two everyone would start showing up around noon for the get together. I looked at the two of them and said, “Good morning.”  
Jose smiled and said, “I am surprised you are up and around this morning after yesterday and last night.”  
Ash looked at Jose and then me, “Why? What happened?”  
I smile and say, “Nothing really, I just started drinking a little earlier than usual yesterday and then went out last night. I’m good though. What did Callie say about today?”  
“She was a little apprehensive about it at first, but I told her we had a really good conversation about everything and that you wanted to show her and Clarke that are in a good place.”  
“Great! I can’t wait to show Asher his new room. Now let’s get started.”  
We spent the next couple of hours training and around ten Clarke came up. I smiled at her, but she looked uncomfortable. I decided to take a water break and see what is wrong. When I walked over to her, she stood up and I lean in to kiss her cheek, but she steps away. Then she says, “I didn’t know that Ash was here, or I wouldn’t have come up. I just wanted to watch you train for a bit. Also, I wanted to thank you. I could get used to waking up to a rose every morning, but it would be even better to wake up and you still be there.”  
“After this fight is over, I will work on that I promise. It’s no problem. She doesn’t care that you are here. I told you, I want to see where things go between you and me. Besides, she is back with Callie. Give me about thirty minutes and then I will have Patrona make us some breakfast.”  
“No, that’s okay. I need to go home and get my swimsuit, but I will be back by noon.”  
“Oh okay. Hold on and let me go with you just in case Finn…”  
She interrupts me and says, “It’s fine. I just need some space. I promise I will be back in a couple of hours.”  
“Um, okay. Well, why don’t you go ahead and pack your bag for LA and just plan on staying over again tonight. I mean…if you want to…it kinda makes sense since we will be leaving in the morning.”  
“Ok, I will think about it. See you later.”  
I just shake my head what the hell was that about. I thought things were going to be different after last night but…whatever! I walk back over to the ring. “Alright, does either of you feel like sparing?”  
Jose says that he really needs to get to work so that everything is set for later today and that he still has to pack a bag for LA. That leaves just me and Ash. I look at her and say, “So, are you up for it?”  
“Sure. So…Clarke…”  
“She stayed over last night because Finn showed up at the Dragon’s Den causing a scene and she didn’t want to go home. Nothing happened, though.”  
“Oh, I thought maybe if you told her about me and Callie…I thought maybe she had decided to give you a chance.”  
“I don’t know what’s going on actually. When she realized you were here, she got all weird and said she needed to go. I told her that you and Callie were back together, and you didn’t mind her being here but…”  
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to her this afternoon? Maybe if she hears it from me, she will feel better.”  
“No, she needs to figure it out on her own.”  
“Do you need to go after her?”  
“No, she said she needed some space.”  
“Well, if you need to talk, I’m here. Now let’s see what you got.”  
Ash and I spar hard for about an hour before she has to go get Callie and Asher. Before she leaves, I say, “Why don’t you all just pack a bag and plan on staying tonight. You and Callie can have my room, since Asher’s room is right there, and I will stay in one of the suites. That way you don’t have to worry about getting up and being here in the morning. I can let the chef know that we will need breakfast for everyone before we leave.”  
“Are you sure you are okay with us staying? I don’t want you to feel like you need to give up your room, though.”  
“It’s fine. I don’t mind; besides, I know Asher is going to want to stay in his room once he sees it.”  
“I will ask Callie and see what she says. See you in about an hour.”  
Once she leaves, I head down to the spa for a cryo session and massage before everyone arrives. When I’m finished in the spa, I head to my room and throw on a pair of board shorts, matching sports bra, and tank top. Next, I go down to the lower deck to make sure everything is out and ready. Of course, I should’ve known that Reed and Jose would have everything set up already.  
I haven’t been by the pool awfully long when I hear little footsteps running toward me. I sit up just in time to be tackled by Asher. I don’t know why he thinks he has to tackle me when he sees me, but he does and then laughs about it. I start tickling him and he squirms until he falls off the chair with a thump. We are both laughing hard when Ash and Callie finally walk up. Asher jumps up and says, “We weren’t doing nothing, I promise.”  
Ash shakes her head and says, “It’s okay, as long as Lexa is okay with whatever you are not doing.”  
I laugh and say, “He’s fine. Hello Callie, how are you?”  
Before she can answer, Asher is jumping up and down saying, “Xa can I please get in pool?”  
“Yeah, buddy. It’s fine with me as long as it is okay with your moms. Before you get in though, there is something I want to show you.”  
Ash says, “Come her and let me put sunscreen on first.”   
She heads over to him leaving Callie and I alone. Callie looks from the floor to me before saying, “Thank you for inviting us over today.”  
“Sure, it’s no problem. I just want you to know that I am fine with you and Ash being together and I have no hard feelings whatsoever. I just want her to be happy and as long as you make her happy, I am fine with it, but if you ever hurt her like you did before…”  
She interrupts me, “I know, you will fulfill your promise and kill me. Trust me when I say that I will never do anything like that again. I would also like to get to know you better because I feel that we will be seeing a lot of one another.”  
“I would like that, also. Now if you would all follow me; I would like to show my little buddy here to his room.”  
Asher runs over and says, “You mean I have my own room on your boat?”  
Callie looks over at Ash, who just shrugs her shoulders. I look at Asher and say, “You sure do buddy. I hope you like it. I had it decorated especially for you.”  
As we walk down to my space, I look at Callie and say, “I hope it is okay that I had a room built for him. I obviously thought at the time that Ash and I would be together which is why it is where it is…but I hope that as we get to know one another better you will let him spend time here and if you ever need a babysitter…” I don’t get to finish that sentence because Asher opens the door to the room and starts yelling and running around like a crazy kid.  
We all start laughing and he comes up to me and says, “Thank you, thank you, Xa this is the most awesome room ever. Can I please spend the night?”  
I look at Callie and say, “I don’t know if Ash mentioned my offer for you all to stay tonight but you are more than welcome to stay and you can have my room so that you are close to Asher and I will stay in one of the suites.”  
She smiles and says, “Ash did mention it but…I don’t know. I don’t want to take your room. If everything goes well today, we will stay but in one of the suites. Asher will be fine down here with you as long as you are okay with it.”  
I look over to Ash who is smiling and say, “Really? You will let him stay down her with me?”  
They both laugh before Ash says, “I’m not sure who the kid is right now, but yes he can stay with you. As long as you promise not to let him stay up all night.”  
Ash  
Lexa had a great training session this morning until Clarke showed up. After they had a conversation and she left, Lexa wanted to spar. I tried talking to her about it, but I think it is a little too soon. I don’t think we are quite to that point yet, but I hope one day we will be able to talk to one another about our relationships. At any rate, after Clarke left, we spared for about an hour and I could tell something was bothering her, but I didn’t push the issue.  
When I arrived at Callie’s to pick up her and Asher, I told her that Lexa had offered for us to spend the night tonight so that we wouldn’t have to get up so early in the morning to leave for LA. She said she wasn’t sure, but we would see how the day played out. Asher was extremely excited about spending the day not only on the boat but with ‘Xa’.   
Not long after we arrived on the Untouchable, Lexa said she had a surprise for Asher and showed him to his very own room. Not just any room either, it was decorated with all sorts of UFC memorabilia, from signed posters to UFC flags. It even had his very own punching bag, not to mention a huge TV and PS5 game system with the latest UFC game. I couldn’t believe how thoughtful she was toward Asher.  
Asher was running around punching and kicking his bag and jumping up and down asking if he could spend the night in his new room. Lexa told Callie that we could have her room so that we could be close to Asher and she would sleep in one of the suites, but Callie said that Asher would be fine down here with her. When she heard this, she had the biggest smile on her face and then her and Asher started making plans for playing video games and watching old fights. It was hard to tell at that moment which one of them was the kid, but it was cute.  
It wasn’t long before people started showing up and that seemed to put Callie at ease a little to know that it wouldn’t just be the three of us. Lexa was right about inviting others over. It also helped that Jess, Callie’s little sister and Angie, her girlfriend, was part of the group. Of course, Callie and I knew most all of the group that Lexa had become friends with.  
Asher, of course, was attached to Lexa’s hip it seemed like because wherever she went so did, he. She didn’t seem to mind though, it even looked like she enjoyed it. Maybe because it took her mind off of the fact that it was now one o’clock and Clarke still wasn’t here. Around one fifteen, Lexa brought Asher back to the boat and said she needed to go. When I ask her what’s wrong, she said she wasn’t sure, but something didn’t feel right, and she needed to go find Clarke.   
Asher wasn’t happy that his ‘best friend Xa’, his words, had to take a timeout. It didn’t take him long to get over it though because there were plenty of people to entertain him.


	37. Lexa/Ash/Clarke

Everything seemed to be going great except the fact that Clarke hadn’t made it back and it was after one. I was beginning to get a little worried that something might have happened. Luckily, I had Asher to keep my mind off of it. According to him, I was his best friend and that was fine with me. He was fun to be around even if he was only seven. It is nice to see what a normal childhood looks like after living through mine. It only made me realize more that I wanted to help people in need anyway I could.   
I started getting a bad feeling and decided that I needed to go find Clarke. I don’t know why but something just felt off. I took Asher back to the boat and told Ash I had to go. I didn’t bother changing clothes just grabbed a t-shirt and my helmet. Once on my bike, I sped off to Clarke’s.   
When I arrived, I found the neighbor standing on the sidewalk in front of Clarke’s house on the phone looking toward the garage. I heard the person say, “He has been here for a while making all kinds of noise and shouting…” That is all I needed to hear. I threw my helmet off and sprinted down the drive and into the garage.  
What I found was Finn and some other guy. Finn was yelling and screaming at Clarke who was in her car terrified and crying. He had parked his car behind her so that she couldn’t leave, and it looked like she was scared to get out of the car. As I took in the scene, the neighbor walked up and said, “I called the police, and they are on the way. I’m not sure what is going on here, but it has been going on for almost an hour and I…”  
I interrupt her, “Thank you. Is it possible for you to do me one more favor? Could you possibly video what is about to happen so that the cops can see what actually happened, please.”  
“Um, sure but what is about to happen?”  
I don’t answer I just step into the garage in front of Finn’s car and yell, “What the fuck to you think you are doing?”  
He looks up and laughs at me, “This is none of your business, dyke! You can just turn around and leave now. This is between me and my girlfriend.”  
“Yeah, that doesn’t work for me. She looks terrified of you and if you don’t back away from the car so that I can check on her, I will remove you myself.”  
“Ha, not going to happen, not until she and I talk things out.” He looks over at the other guy and says, “George if she tries anything take care of her.”  
I look over at George, he is taller than me and muscular. He probably outweighs me by at least fifty pounds but that doesn’t worry me. “Look, all I want to do is check on Clarke. It is obvious that she doesn’t want to talk to you so just get out of the way and everything will be fine. Plus, there is the issue of the restraining order and the cops are already on the way so maybe you should just leave.”  
“I told you, I’m not leaving. Especially after what she did to me last night. I had to spend the night in the hospital and might still have to have one of my balls removed.”  
I can’t help but laugh at that, which pisses him off even more. “Oh, so you think that’s funny do you. How about I have George teach you a lesson on manners.”  
“Fine, I tried to be nice, but I’m done. I need to see if she is okay. Now get the fuck out of my way!” He just laughs at me and picks up something off the workbench behind him and raises it in the air like he is about to hit the car window. I yell, “NO!” as I launch myself at him, but George blocks me, and he breaks the window sending glass all over Clarke.  
George and I land hard with me on top of him. I look down at him trying to catch his breath and say, “I’m going to get up and check on Clarke, please don’t do anything stupid.” I can hear the police sirens in the distance, so I breathe a sigh of relief. I get up and go to the car and see Clarke gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles are white, and she has some scratches on her from the broken glass. I say, “Hey, Clarke it’s me. Are you okay? Can you open the door for me?”  
She looks up at me tears streaming down her cheeks, “Is…is he gone?” Then her eyes widen in fear, I spin around in time to dodge the bat that Finn is swinging at me. He hits the top of the car with the bat and I hit him with a left hook to the temple that knocks him out just as the cop car pulls up. By now George is also back on his feet and rushes at me like a linebacker going after the quarterback. I sidestep him and he runs into the side of the car. When he turns around, I catch him with a roundhouse kick to the temple knocking him out. I turn back to Clarke, “Hey Ya amar, it’s okay now unlock the door, please. He is out cold, and the cops are here.”   
Just as she unlocks the door and I reach for the handle, I hear, “Freeze, put your hands in the air and turn around slowly.”  
All I can think is seriously? All I want to do is make sure Clarke is okay and wrap my arms around her, but as I turn around, I see two cops with their guns drawn. I have my hands in the air and say, “Whoa, guys! They are the ones you want. I just need to make sure Clarke is alright, please.”  
The neighbor speaks up, “She’s telling the truth. I’m the one who called you and I have everything recorded on my phone here. She came and tried to talk him down but well it didn’t work. Here take a look.”  
The cops holster their guns and say, “Okay, you can lower your hands but don’t make any sudden moves while we take a look at the video.”  
“Yes, sir. Is it okay if I open the car door and check on Clarke?”  
“If she is willing to open the door that’s fine.”  
I turn and reach for the handle, but before I can she has the door open and launches herself into my arms. I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her tightly saying, “It’s okay now. I’ve got you, your safe.” I can feel her sobbing against me and now that the situation is under control, I become extremely angry. I pull back from her and start checking her to make sure she isn’t hurt. “Baby, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” She shakes her head no, as the cops approach.  
The officer looks from Clarke to me to Finn and George laying on the ground. He says, “I’m officer Booth, Landon Booth and this is my partner officer Jennie Holland. What exactly happened here?”  
I speak up, “I’m Lexa Trikru and this is Clarke Griffin.” I hand him Officer Allison’s business card and say, “If you call her, she can explain what happened the other night, but the guy over there is Finn, Clarke’s ex-boyfriend and all I know about the other one is that his name is George. All I can tell you is that when I arrived, the neighbor was on the phone with you all and said that he had been here for a long time yelling and screaming. When I approached, I could see Clarke in the car scared to death. I tried to talk to Finn, but he broke the window. He then swung a bat at my head, so I knocked him out with a left hook.”  
“Yes, we saw that on the video, but what happened before that?”  
I look at Clarke and raise an eyebrow at her. She glances over my shoulder at Finn, and then starts to back away. When I turn to look, I can see that he is coming to. I pull Clarke behind me. The cop sees my reaction and takes out his handcuffs and puts them on Finn and George as soon as they get up. Finn starts shouting, “Why are you cuffing me? She is the one who assaulted me, and I want to press charges.”  
Officer Booth tries to explain that he isn’t under arrest. He is just being detained until they can sort out what happened. Finn continues yelling and finally the officer tells him that if he doesn’t shut up, he is going to place him under arrest for undermining a police investigation. Once he finally shuts up, Clarke starts to explain, and I wrap my arms around her from behind. I just need to hold her. I want her to feel safe. She says, “When I got home today, he was waiting parked across the street. I tried to pull into the garage and shut it, but he parked his car behind me so the door wouldn’t shut. Before I could get out of the car, he was trying to open the door, but I locked it so that he couldn’t. He started banging on the window and door telling me to get out so that he could talk to me, but I was scared. He was so angry! He just kept yelling all sorts of things and…I just froze. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t call for help or anything. That is when Lexa showed up.”  
She turned in my arms and looked me in the eyes, “How did you know…how did you know that I needed you?”  
I smiled and kissed her forehead, “Does it matter? I just had a feeling that something was wrong and when you hadn’t shown back up at the boat…I just came.”  
Finn laughs, “Oh how sweet, now arrest her for hitting me. None of what she said is true. I came over to talk to her and she wouldn’t get out of the car. Then the Amazon over there came in and knocked me out. That’s all that happened. Do you know who I am? No one is going to believe her over me. My dad is the mayor, and he will have your badges for the way you are treating me.”  
Officer Holland walks over and whispers something in Officer Booth’s ear. I’m assuming she has talked to Officer Allison. Officer Booth says, “Son, I don’t care who you are. We have video proof of everything that happened from the time Lexa got here until now, so yeah, we will believe them over you. Clarke, do you want us to charge him with trespassing and violation of his restraining order?”  
She looks at me and I just shrug and say, “Ya amar, that is up to you.”  
“Yes, I do!”  
“Lexa do you want to press charges for attempted assault?”  
I look at Charley and ask, “What do you want me to do?”  
“It’s up to you, but…well I would rather you did.”  
“Okay, then yes I do want press charges. Finn you may want to put some ice on that eye. It is starting to swell. Oh, and I hope they do have to cut your balls off.” This gets a chuckle out of the two officers.   
Finn gives me a death stare as he is being loaded into the back of the police car. Officer Booth asks if we will be alright if they leave. I tell him we will be fine, that Clarke is just going to grab some clothes and then she will be staying with me for a while. He nods and gives me his card in case Finn comes back. I thank him and then they leave.  
As soon as they were gone, I closed the garage and ask, “Seriously Clarke are you sure that you are okay? Some of those cuts look deep. I can get Lo to look at them when we get back if you want.”  
She sniffled and gave me a weak smile, “I fine now. Thank you for coming. I don’t know what would have happened if…if he had. Never mind, just thank you.”  
“You don’t have to thank me. I will always be here when you need me. I should have never let you come alone after…well, you know but after this morning…I thought you were mad at me. But that is in the past, let’s go inside.” I take her hand and we walk into the house. “Just throw your necessities in a backpack. I brought the bike so there isn’t much room. We can either come back later or better yet, we will just buy you some clothes in LA tomorrow. All you need right now is a swimsuit, some underwear and your helmet.”  
“No, I will pack my stuff and then follow you in my car. You don’t have to buy me new clothes when I have plenty here.”  
“Ya amar, please don’t argue with me on this. I don’t want you driving right now, you are still upset, plus your window is broken. Just grab what I said and let’s go have fun. I think you need some fun, unless you just want to chill in my room, which is fine too.”  
She leans in and touches her lips to mine and I immediately feel the fireworks start. I run my hand along her neck and pull her closer before I know it her tongue is inside of my mouth. The kiss, which started out gentle and sweet, slowly deepened as it went on like two lovers who had known each other before and were reluctant to pull away. I only wish that I didn’t need to breath so that I could stay in this moment forever. Unfortunately, I had to pull away. I couldn’t help but smile as I stared into her beautiful eyes.  
“If you continue to do that, we will not make it back to my place. That was…well, that was utterly amazing.”  
Her cheeks turn red, “Yes, yes it was.”   
She turns and walks away. I’m assuming to pack her bag. I stand there for a few minutes thinking about how different kissing her is from anyone else. I can’t figure out why it is so different, but I can’t get enough. I just wish she would trust me enough to give me a chance. Once she was ready, we headed back to mine. By the time we made it back, Clarke looked as though she was feeling a little better. We stopped by my room to throw her stuff down and I pulled out a couple of shot glasses and the tequila. She smiled and said, “How do you always know what I need?”  
I just shrugged and poured the shots. We then went up to join the group and had at least a little bit of fun. After an amazing dinner, those that weren’t going to the fights headed home and the rest of us sat around the fire pit talking and having a few drinks. Once the cleanup from dinner was finished, Reed and Jose joined us along with Stefania, Logan, Lo, and Morrigan. Of course, this led to a conversation on how Reed, Jose, Ash, and I knew each other and how they managed to be working on the Untouchable. I just sat back and let them tell the story because I don’t like to talk about myself.  
Ash  
Eventually while Lexa was out on the jet ski with Asher, I finally had a chance to talk to Clarke alone. I know that she told me not to, but I feel like maybe if I can have a conversation with her it will help her realize that I am with Callie.  
Clarke was sitting on the deck watching Lexa and Asher out on the jet ski. I walked over and took a seat beside her. She looked over at me and smiled before looking down at the water. I clear my throat and say, “Hey, are you okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m fine now. Thanks for asking.”  
“No problem. I was wondering if I could maybe talk to you for a bit about Lexa?”  
“Um…sure, but you don’t have to. Lexa already told me that you and Callie were back together.”  
“Yeah, we are and Lexa and I had a really good conversation about everything. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”  
“Ashley it is okay. Really, you don’t need to…”  
I interrupt her, “I know that I don’t need to, but I want to. I’m sure she didn’t tell you everything because she doesn’t like to talk about herself. She probably didn’t tell you that she was the one who said that she thought it was better if her and I were just friends. She said that Jose and her had had a conversation and she realized that the reason we were together was because of what we went through together. We made each other feel safe and…things just went from there, but now she told me that I feel like home to her. The way she explained it was that I was the first place she felt safe and like she belonged. She said that after she kissed you the other night, she knew that you were different. She said that is when she knew without a doubt that even though she and I would always have a bond because of what we survived together; we were better off as friends. What I’m trying to say is that she wants to be with you, and you don’t have to worry about her feelings for me. Do you understand?”  
Before she can answer, Callie walks up and asks, “Ashley, what are you doing?”  
I say, “Well…um…I’m just trying to explain to Clarke about Lexa and my relationship and how Lexa really wants to be with her not me.”  
“Oh lord, Ashley. Please tell me you are explaining things to her better than you did to me and I thought you said that she didn’t want you to talk to Clarke, that she wanted to give her space to come around on her own.”  
“Yeah, well…I am just trying to help. I mean I just feel like…I don’t know I just want Clarke to know that Lexa really wants to be with her and it’s not just because you and I are back together. I also want her to know that Lexa and I are just friends.”  
Clarke speaks up, “Look, I really appreciate the fact that you told me all of this but…I just don’t know. I mean she would probably not like the fact that I’m telling you this, but I really don’t have anyone else to talk to right now.”  
Callie says, “Oh, I’m sure that Lexa doesn’t want Ashley talking to you either, but that ship has already sailed so you might as well spit it out before she sees us sitting here talking.”  
Clarke laughs, “I’m scared shitless about starting a relationship with her. Don’t get me wrong, she is an amazing, caring, selfless, and patient person, but…well I’ve only ever been with Finn and never once thought about being with another woman until I met her. And once we kissed…I can’t even explain it, but it scares me.”  
I look at Callie before I say, “I know putting your heart on the line can be scary, but when you find the right person it is worth it. I can tell you from experience that you are the only one who can decide if you want to give her a chance. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn’t giving Callie a chance, that I was running back to Lexa because she was safe to me and I knew that she would never hurt or leave me. I was scared to give Callie a second chance because she had hurt me in the past. What I’m trying to say is that if you never give her a chance you will never know. Lexa is an amazing person who is loyal to a fault and will never break a promise.”  
About this time, Lexa comes hauling in straight for the boat on the jet ski and at the last-minute turns and sprays us with water before circling around and coming to a stop in front of us with Asher just laughing at the fact that the three of us are now soaking wet. I wait until Asher is on the swim deck before I launch myself at Lexa tackling her off the ski and into the water. Next thing I know, Asher has jumped in and is attacking me saying leave Xa alone. Now everyone was laughing.  
Clarke  
Today has been exhausting emotionally. I still have no idea how Lexa knew that I needed her, but I’m glad she did. The way she handled the situation was amazing and I knew once she was there, that I was safe, and he couldn’t hurt me. It felt so good to be in her arms and that kiss…was amazing. Then there was the conversation with Ashley and Callie, I still don’t know what to think about that. I think…well, maybe I should just say the hell with my fear and give a relationship with her a go. I mean after all she somehow knew to come to my rescue without me even calling her and she has been nothing but patient and caring from the start. I think I will tell her after the fights. I don’t want anything to take her attention off of the fight. Yeah, I think that’s what I will do. Now all I need to do is just relax by the fire with everyone and listen to their stories. Everything is going to work out, I can feel it.


	38. Lexa/Ash

I sat around the pit listening as Ash, Jose and Reed explained to everyone how we all knew one another and then Reed explained how Jose and he came to be working on the yacht. I still haven’t had the chance to ask what Clarke, Ash and Callie were talking about before I sprayed them but at least Clarke is sitting close enough to me so that I can have my arm around her. I can tell that Asher is getting bored and sleepy, so I decide to take him down to his room.  
I get up and say, “Asher how about you and I go down and play video games while the adults sit around and talk.”  
Callie says, “Lexa I can take him down and put him to bed so that you can stay.”  
“No, I want to take him and play a couple of games as long as that is okay with you.”  
She looks over at Ash and then says, “That is fine, as long as you are sure you don’t mind.”  
Asher jumps up and says, “Come on Xa, I want to kick your butt on the UFC game.”  
Callie says, “Fine, but I will be down in about an hour to tuck you into bed.”  
I got up to leave and I wanted to give Clarke a kiss on the cheek, but I was afraid that she would think that I was pressuring her. So, instead I just told Asher to follow me and we headed downstairs. I took a couple of steps before Clarke says, “Hold on, I’ll come with you.”  
I smile and say, “It’s fine, you stay and enjoy yourself. I’ve just heard or lived all of the stories being told so I don’t need to hear them again. I’ll be back up once we finish playing and I have him in bed. Really, it’s fine.”  
Clarke looked around at everyone and then back to me, “Are you sure? I am enjoying hearing all the stories.”  
“I’m sure, Ya amar. Stay and enjoy yourself, have a few drinks and relax. You deserve it, just don’t believe everything those three say about me.”  
Everyone laughs and as I am walking away, I hear Octavia ask what Ya amar means and Ash telling them that it means ‘My moon’ in Arabic. I can just imagine how red Clarke’s face is when Jess says, “Aw, that is so sweet. Ashley I can’t believe you let her go. I mean she is so…well, she is hot, caring, protective, loyal, can dance like no one’s business and not to mention she can sing. She is truly the whole package and romantic on top of that. How can you give up all that for my sister who is none of that?”  
I don’t hang around to hear what is said after everyone stops laughing, I just continue downstairs with Asher. We play one match on the game before he falls asleep holding the controller. I pick him up and put him to bed before heading back upstairs. I was really looking forward to spending some time with him, but I guess he was tired from playing in the water all day today.  
Ash  
As Lexa walks away with my son in tow Jess has the nerve to ask me why I would let her go and got back with Callie. I don’t really know how to answer that question because it is a complicated one. Luckily, I’m saved by Morrigan saying, “So, who is Lexa fighting?”   
I say, “Jewel Budd. Lexa shouldn’t be gone long. I doubt Asher will last more than a game or too after today. I don’t think she likes to hang around when we are talking about her.”  
Octavia says, “Yeah, she is kinda shy when it comes to hearing about everything she has accomplished. I’m not sure why, though. I mean if I had been awarded all the medals she has, I would want to brag about them or at least be around when someone else tells the stories. I mean imagine how many chicks she could pick up with some of her stories.”  
Stefania speaks up and says, “I had no idea that someone as young as Lexa could have accomplished all of the things you all have been talking about. She seems to be an extraordinary person and I look forward to getting to know her better.”  
Morrigan asks, “Does anyone know anything about this Jewel Budd person?”  
Jose says, “From what I have read and seen, she is an accomplished fighter. She started out in Mui Tia and then transferred over to MMA. Her only loses are against big named opponents like Amanda Nunes, Cyborg and Rousey. It is going to be a tough fight for sure, but Lexa can hold her own and we have been working a lot on her capoeira since she decided to take the fight. Not many people know how to defend against it.”  
I notice that not only is the crew quietly taking everything in but so is Clarke. She hasn’t really said a word since Lexa left with Asher. I am about to ask her if she is alright when Jess says, “Clarke, why don’t you tell them about how Lexa sang you that song last night at karaoke? I mean it was the most romantic thing I have ever seen how she sang directly to you, even changing some of the wording and then came sliding across the floor and ask you to give her a chance.”  
When I look at Clarke, her face is crimson red. She looks at the floor and says, “Thanks Jess but I think you just about summed it up and I’m sure that no one wants to hear about that. I’m sure they would rather hear about her time in Afghanistan or fighting in Mickey’s tournament.”  
Lexa walks up and says, “What does no one want to hear about? What did I miss?”  
Everyone starts to laugh, and I can’t help myself. “Clarke was just about to tell us about how you sang to her last night. I didn’t know you liked karaoke?”   
Now Lexa is as red in the face as Clarke. Zander begins stuttering, “Well…um…it was only my second time at karaoke and I really don’t remember the first time…but…”  
I say, “But?”  
“But I wanted her to know how I felt. Is that what you wanted to hear?”  
“Easy, killer. We are just goofing off. I didn’t mean anything…”  
“Really Ash, just goofing off. You know what kind of day Clarke has had. Let’s not do this tonight, okay?”  
“Do what? We are just having a good time getting to know everyone. Your crew was curious about you, that’s all. Reed, Jose, and I have replayed our time in the desert, Callie has told them about DC and Jess and Octavia were just getting Clarke to talk about last night. Everyone is just getting to know each other, that’s all.”  
Clarke says, “It’s okay Lexa. It’s like they said we were all out at the Dragon’s Den having a good time drinking and dancing when the DJ said that they were going to open the mic up for karaoke. Octavia made a comment that her and Lexa should sing since everyone liked it the last time they sang. Then Jess decided she wanted Lexa to sing with her also, but Lexa said that she wasn’t drunk enough to get up in front of people and sing. I think that O decided it was her mission for the night to get her drunk enough to sing and that is what happened. She was drunk and sang a song directed at me, that’s all.”  
Jess starts to say something, but Lexa cuts her off. “Is that what you really think? That I was just drunk and that’s why I sang to you? After everything, do you really think so little of me?”   
I say, “Lexa, we are just goofing around. Don’t take it so seriously.”  
She says, “Whatever! I’m glad that everyone is laughing at me. I’m glad that I can amuse everyone.” Then she gets up and starts to walk away.


	39. Lexa/Ash/Clarke

I get up to walk away. I take about two steps before someone grabs my wrist. I spin around and yell, “Let me go!” I’m not sure whether I’m pissed or just hurt by what Clarke just said. All I know is that I need to get out of here and now. When I realize it is Clarke who has grabbed me, I look into her eyes. I realize that her words hurt me more than any ever have. I can’t believe that she thinks the only reason I sang to her was because I was drunk, not after everything that has happened in the last couple of days.  
She is just standing there staring at me and I can feel tears come to my eyes. I don’t want anyone to see me cry so, I turn to leave. But she says, “Wait.”  
So, I turn around and look at her, but she just stands there. Finally, I say, “Is that what you really think? You think that…never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to bed. You all have fun, and I will see everyone bright and early for the flight to LA. Jose will you please make sure everyone has everything they need in their suites. Clarke, I will have Patrona bring your bags to your suite.”  
I can tell that Clarke is stunned but at this point I don’t care. I turn to walk away when Ash says, “Alexandria Sahar Jones stop being such an ass!”  
That does it. “No one calls me that…well except your mom and Abby, but…You don’t get to talk to me like that, not anymore and I am not doing this with you right now in front of my friends and crew. I’m going to go to bed and sleep it off while you all continue to talk about me.”  
Callie says, “Ashley, leave her alone. I think…”  
I’m really pissed now, and all these emotions are just waiting to burst out. “What? What do you think, Callie? That this is about you and Ash. I hate to break it to you, but it has nothing to do with either one of you and everything to do with what Clarke thinks of me. I thought I was over caring what others thought of me but…I guess I care what she thinks. What the hell since we seem to be doing this. Let’s get it all out, what do you say? Is that what everyone wants?”  
“Okay, Lexa that is enough. I get it, we took things too far by forcing Clarke to talk about last night. I’m sorry…”  
“Ash stop making this about you. It’s not! I told you I’m happy for you and Callie. I really am. What we had was amazing while it lasted but it was built on the trauma that we went through together nothing more. While I don’t regret a minute of it, I realize now that we are not destined to be lovers. I know now that we will always be there for one another but as friends. I will always have your six no matter what. You gave me a home and showed me what it means to have a family and that is what we will always be family. Callie, I hope that we can become friends because we will be seeing a lot of each other and I really hope to be a part of Asher’s life. He is a great kid.”  
Callie says, “Lexa, I know we got off to a rocky start, but I would like it also if we can become friends. As far as Asher, I want you to know that I trust you with him and he loves you. I think what we all want to know right now is what has you so upset? You once said that you wanted your crew to be a part of your family, right? Well part of being a family is talking when things are bothering you. We are here for you if you will let us be.”  
“Just forget it alright! You and Ash didn’t do anything. I am just upset and wanted to get that off my chest so that everyone would know where the three of us stand. Now…”  
Clarke interrupts me, “Lexa I’m sorry! I know that I am the one who hurt you and made you upset. I was embarrassed and I shouldn’t have said that the only reason you sang to me was because you were drunk. I’m just…well, I’m terrified of…”  
“Yeah, I know. You are scared and embarrassed of me. I get it, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. I really thought…I…I thought you felt something for me when we kissed. That one kiss changed my whole life. Up until that kiss, I knew what I wanted. I had the rest of my life figured out. I was going to fight tooth and nail for Ash, and I knew that I would choose her over everyone, but that kiss changed everything for me. Just so you know, I wasn’t drunk last night. I mean all three songs I sang last night were for you. Hell, I basically said that I would kill Finn for you. I just had a good buzz and I just…well, I just wanted to show you how I felt, and I thought that since you kissed me after the song that it meant you were going to give me a chance. I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part. I’m only glad that…”  
I don’t get to finish my sentence because Clarke’s lips crash into mine. This was…this kiss made my entire body tingle and the rest of the world just disappeared. At this moment, I forgot that we were fighting. I forgot how bad her words hurt me and most of all, I forgot that there was anyone else around. When she pulled away, I was breathless and wanting more but at the same time I felt a stab of anxiety. I am so confused as to what this means.   
She looks me straight in the eyes and says, “Would you please let me finish? What I was trying to say is, you don’t embarrass me, and I’m not terrified of you. I was embarrassed talking about how romantic you are in front of everyone, especially Ash. I only said those things to downplay it because I was terrified that you still had feelings for Ash. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, and it scares me. I’m sorry that I hurt you and I promise to never intentionally hurt you ever again but I…”  
I say, “Relax, you can trust me. You have to believe that otherwise…well without trust there is nothing. I’m not like Finn or anyone else. I won’t hurt you. I will never take you for granted and I will never leave you. I don’t play games and I will always come for you when you need me. I’m not after a quick or short romance. I can be as patient as you need, I just need to know that you are willing to give me a chance. That’s all, all I want is a chance.”  
“I do believe you and I do trust you. I know you are different; it’s just I don’t want…everything is just happing so fast and it is scary.”  
“Trust me I know, sweetie. I’m scared too, up until recently I thought that Ash was my end game. I was ready to marry her, hell I even proposed to her before we left Afghanistan. When she didn’t immediately accept the proposal, I started building up my defenses. Then once Callie showed up and Ash wanted to see where their relationship was going, well I started partying and even sleeping around, which I’m not proud of but it happened. When I kissed you, I knew that I was in trouble. My defenses started to drop and all the walls I had put up came crashing down. All it took was that one kiss…so yeah, I’m scared too. I knew after that kiss that I was done with sleeping around. I want a relationship with you if you will have me. All I’m asking for is a chance, that’s it.” I walk over to her and give her a kiss on the cheek before walking away. I’m tired and emotionally spent. I just want to go downstairs turn on tapes of fights and relax.”  
Clarke says, “Wait, is it okay if I come with you? Or do you want me to get my things and stay in one of the suites?”  
“Ya amar, that is completely up to you, but please be sure if you do come.”   
I head toward the stairs and I hear Angie say, “Damn that girl is brutely honest. If I were trying to get with someone, I would never let them know that I had slept around.”  
I’m about to turn around with a retort but hear Ash say, “Lexa doesn’t know how to be dishonest and when she loves, she wears her heart on her sleeve. She really is a romantic person and if Clarke gives her a chance, she will never want for anything ever again.”  
Wow, I can’t believe Ash said that especially in front of Callie but she’s not wrong. I just hope that it doesn’t get her into trouble with Callie. I sort of want to hang around and hear what else is said but I’m spent, and I just need a hot shower and a few minutes alone so, I say, “I’m going to take a shower. I will see everyone in the morning. Clarke, if you want to stay with me give me about twenty minutes. I just…I just need a few minutes.” She just nods as I walk away.  
Ash  
I know as soon as those words leave my mouth that they could cause trouble, but I really needed Clarke to know. Luckily, Callie just gave me a look but then she kissed me. Of course, Jess had to open her mouth, “Ashley if she is so amazing, why did you let her go?”  
This statement earned her a smack to the back of the head from both Callie and Angie. Unfortunately, everyone was looking at me for an answer and it didn’t look like anyone was going to save me this time. So, I took a deep breath, which gave me some time to get my thoughts together and then said, “It’s like this, what we had was amazing, but I realize that our relationship worked because of where we were and what we had been through together. I saw myself reflected back at me in Lexa. Neither of us trusted anyone and we didn’t care if we lived or died. When I met her, I didn’t know she was working with Bellamy and the Navy. I thought she was a member of the Taliban and an enemy. When I found out that I was going to have to trust her with my life, I gave her hell. But you know what she did, she took it and did everything I asked her to do. Then she made me a promise. She told me that she would protect me with her life and have my six and that is exactly what happened. She saved my life twice that night, proving to me that she could be trusted completely. Long story short, she always showed up and had my six. She came for me when I was taken and never left my side while I was in a coma. When I woke up and Abby told me she had never left, I don’t know…I felt the walls that I had built explode and crumble to the ground. Once I was awake, we got to know one another and well…things happened. She is amazing and the most romantic person I have ever met and yes, she did propose to me but by then mom had told me the story of Callie…and I started having doubts about Lexa. Not about her commitment to me but the reason we were together. If you know anything about Lexa you have to know that she never says anything that she doesn’t mean, but some of the things Abby was telling me started to make sense. Our bond was related to a trauma that we shared, and it made us get close fast and think that we were meant to be together. When Callie showed up at the medal ceremony, I was mad.”   
She starts to speak but I hold up my hand, “Please let me finish. I was mad because when I saw her all the feelings that I had spent the last seven years running from, came back and I knew that I was in trouble. I was mad because I was going to have to hurt the one person who had never left me, Lexa. I realized that I had been running ever since Callie didn’t show up at the airport, hell maybe even before then. When I found out what had happened to her while she was in college, I felt guilty like it was my fault. Whenever I thought about her, I felt like a failure. I should have stayed home. I tried to get out of the Navy when I found out, but I couldn’t.”  
I look at Callie with tears in my eyes, “Babe, I’m so sorry for everything you went through. I’m sorry I failed you and I am going to stop running, I promise. Every day I wonder what would have happened if I had stayed and looked for you, but…I had no idea. Everyone thought you ran off with Robby and were married. I didn’t know to look and for that I am truly sorry. So, I guess the short answer would be because I have always loved Callie. From the moment I tackled her in the gym that day freshman year until now, I never stopped loving her even though I tried and tried hard. Yes, Lexa is an amazing, romantic, loyal survivor who I will always share a special bond, but my heart has and always will belong to Callie. It just took a long time for me to realize it. I don’t regret my relationship with Lexa one bit. She was there for me when I needed her the most and she will always have my six, but we both realize that we were not meant to be lovers.”  
When I finish, I take Callie’s hand and bring it to my lips kissing it. I look over at Jess and say, “Does that answer your question?”  
Before she can answer, Callie’s lips crash on to mine for a scorching kiss. Then she gets up and pulls me up with her and asks Reed which room is ours. Everyone starts to laugh because they know exactly what is about to happen, but at this moment I just don’t care. Before we run off, I look at Clarke and say, “She really is worth it you know. I know you are scared and whatever, but so is she. Just give her a chance and I promise you want regret it.”  
Clarke  
Wow, I can’t believe what Ash just said. I mean it is almost the exact same thing that Lexa told me earlier. All I can hope is that I haven’t completely screwed up with Lexa. I get up and head downstairs. I know it hasn’t been twenty minutes, but I really want to be with her right now. How did things go so wrong so fast? I need to make things right.  
When I get to her room, she is still in the shower. I put my hand on the bathroom door, debating on if I should let her know I’m here or not. I can hear the shower running and then I hear her crying. I decide to wait for her on the couch so she can get herself pulled together. As I sit there, I wonder if I should talk to her now or wait until after the fight like I planned. That is if she is even willing to hear me out. I really don’t know what to do.  
I jump when she says, “What are you doing here?”   
When I look up, she is standing there completely naked and dripping water. I can’t help but look at her standing there with the water just sliding down her perfectly sculpted body and those abs…she clears her throat and I start to stutter. “Um…you-you told me that I could…you said it was okay as long…as long as I was sure. I just need you to know…well, um could you maybe put some clothes on so we can talk. I can’t really concentrate while you are standing there…well like that.”  
She sort of laughs, “I thought I said give me twenty minutes? Whatever, give me a second.”  
When she comes back, she has on a pair of boxer briefs and a sports bra. She really is trying to kill me, I think. How am I supposed to concentrate when she looks like this? Here goes nothing, “Look, I need you to know…well I just…I want you to know I was going to wait until after your fight to tell you all of this because I didn’t want to distract you. But now everything has well, I don’t know gone to shit. So, I’m just going to come out and say it. You have changed my life so much and I know you don’t understand how or why. Hell, you probably don’t even believe me when I tell you that, but you really have. Since I met you, I have realized that…that what Finn and I had was toxic and he was controlling my life without me knowing it. You have made me look at the world differently. Maybe I haven’t shown just how much I’ve loved being around you, but I have make no mistake about that.”  
“I’m glad that you can see things differently now and I’m glad you enjoy my company when we are out with our friends but…”   
I shook my head and lifted her chin until she was looking me in the eyes. Touching her was electrifying as my thumb swept across her bottom lip. “I don’t care about hanging out with all our friends, Lexa. I care about you. I want to care more about you. And the fact that you showed up today when I needed you the most has only reinforced how I feel about you. You show up when I’m struggling. It’s as though our connection is stronger than either of expected.”  
She looks at me and says, “I just knew you needed me. I shouldn’t have let you go by yourself in the first place. I should have been with you just to have your back if you needed it.”  
I draw in a shaky breath. If I am ever going to have a happy life, something worth fighting for, I have to be honest with her. If it falls apart, at least I can say I tried and been honest in the end.  
“I had every intention of talking to you about us after you win the fight on Saturday. I mean, I know there is no us and that is my fault, but I wanted to say some things to you. To open up to you about my feelings.”  
She moves to sit next to me on the couch and takes my hand. “Is it okay if I still do that?” I ask, “Because if you still feel anything for Ash, I really need to know. I can’t pour my heart out to you only to find out that I’ve already fucked it all up.”  
“I promise there is nothing there with Ash except friendship, I need you to believe me when I tell you this.”  
“I do. The truth is, I’ve never even really been in a real relationship before. I mean I was with Finn, but I see now that it wasn’t really a relationship and I have never thought about another woman before. I’ve never really been on a date that I had any control over, and I don’t know the first thing about women especially when it comes to the bedroom. But I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to do that kind of stuff. You know, dates and getting to know women, in and out of the bedroom.”  
“Um…okay.”  
I turn so that I can look her in the eyes, “and by women, I don’t mean other women. I just mean one woman.”  
“Okay…” she narrows her eyes.  
Apparently, I’m not explaining this right, “I mean y-you!” Surprisingly, I feel much lighter after saying everything out loud. “Um…is that something you still want or…”  
“Of course, all I want is a chance!”  
“Well, I’ve made a bit of a mess with this…but I’d like to start again with you. And I don’t know, maybe after the fight if you’re not busy, I could take you on a date.”  
Her face lit up melting my heart. “I’d love to go on a date with you.”  
“I can’t promise it’ll be anything worth bragging about, I’ve no idea what I’m doing but I want to try. At least then I know I didn’t just walk away from what I could have possibly had with you. Because I do really like you Lexa. A lot!” I know in my heart that she is something special. I’ve never lain in bed thinking about another woman or man for that matter. Just her kisses, her lips are enough for me to know that I want more. I lean in and brush my lips across hers lightly and ask, “Are you okay?”  
“Um…yeah, just confused as to why you were going to wait to tell me all of this and if this is how you really feel why did you say those things earlier?”  
“I don’t know, I didn’t want to get in the way of your concentration on the fight. I mean after you saved me today, everything changed. I knew then that I needed to forget my fear of you breaking my heart because if I let it win, I would never know if we could have something more. I just didn’t think the timing was right, you know. And the other stuff was exactly what I said earlier, I was embarrassed talking about us in front of Ash. I will do everything I can to show you that I want something real with you, Lexa. And maybe in time, if this doesn’t all go wrong and you don’t come to resent me for whatever reason, I will have everything with you. This isn’t the life I usually live, you know that, and I don’t have the money or nice things that you have…but I don’t think that stuff matters long term.”  
She grabs both of my hands and looks me straight in the eyes, “None of that matters to me. I promise you that. You know me, I came from nothing and as long as I have you by my side…well nothing else matters to me.”  
“I know that. I just hope you don’t come to regret being with me.”  
She squints her eyes, “Why would I?”  
“I don’t know. Because of Finn or the fact that I get it in my head that I’m not worthy. You could always find someone different; someone better and then realize that you’ve made the biggest mistake of your life being with me. I never want you to feel that way so, as long as you are honest with me, if that time comes, it’ll be okay. At least I had you for a while.”  
“Ya amar, believe me when I tell you that you are the only woman on my mind. Constantly, every minute of the day.”  
I smile, “Yeah?”  
“Very much so, without a doubt.”  
“Well, that makes me feel better.”  
She bushes a stray, blonde curl from my cheek. “So, we do this together, okay?”  
“Yeah, together.”   
“Really? We are doing this?”  
I can’t help laughing at her smiling face. “Yes, we are doing this! Just…can we wait until after the fight to tell everyone? I want you to focus on the fight and not get hurt.”  
“Absolutely, anything for you. But you need to know it is going to be hard for me to keep my hands off of you now that I know you are with me.”  
She leans in and kisses my lips and once again it is amazing. I start running my hands up her sides then through her hair. Before I know it, I am straddling her on the couch. She is just smiling up at me with her hands on my hips waiting on me to make a move. I graze my fingers lightly down her tight abs and capture her lips in another scorching kiss. This time when I pull back, I’m torn on whether to continue or put the brakes on. I know that I want this more than anything, but we have time and I want to do this right.  
She sits up placing me in her lap, her hands never leaving my hips. It is like she can read my mind. “Clarke, I want you more than anything right now, but we have plenty of time. Besides Asher is in the next room and he will be up bright and early in the morning so why don’t you get ready for bed and then come snuggle with me.”  
I lean in and kiss her lips one more time before I get up and head to the bathroom for a long cold shower.


	40. Lexa/Clarke

I wake up early as usual, but since I’m not training today, I decide to just stay in bed and snuggle with Clarke. Last night turned out to be an emotional roller coaster for the both of us. She looks so cute laying here with her head on my shoulder and her leg thrown over me. I could lay here all day and watch her sleep. Unfortunately, we have to get up shortly to meet up with everyone to head to LA. If I were to guess, I would bet anything that Asher will come running in here in the near future.  
I take this quiet time to think about last night and I wonder if I shouldn’t have let what was said bother me so bad. I don’t know! The thought of Clarke thinking so little of me just hurt. I guess everything worked out in the end because it led to us having a bigger discussion and she finally let me know how she feels. Hopefully, Mickey can come through with getting the band for me tomorrow night. I will have to remember to text him and Captain Miguel on the flight to LA to make sure everything is in order but I’m sure Reed and Jose have already informed Miguel what needs to happen.  
Suddenly, I hear little footsteps and the door opens just enough for him to stick his head in. I smile at him and put my finger to my lips letting him know to be quiet as I wave him in. He walks up to the bed and looks at Clarke sleeping in my arms and he smiles. “Hey buddy. Do you want to help me wake up sleepy head here?” I whisper. He starts to giggle and shakes his head yes. “Good. I’m going to count to three and then you jump in the bed and help me tickle her.” I kiss her temple and start to count and when I hit three, he jumps on her and starts tickling her.  
She screams and tries to sit up, but Asher is sitting on her so that she can’t, and I start laughing and helping. Finally, we are laughing so hard no one can move. Clarke looks at Asher and me and says, “Who’s idea was that?”  
We are both laughing and pointing at one another. She looks at me and says, “Really? Is this what I can look forward to when we have kids?”  
I stop laughing and look at her. Her cheeks are red, and she starts to stutter, “I mean…y-you know. If…”  
I lean in and kiss her deeply and Asher groans. When I pull away, I smile, “I don’t know for sure but probably…yeah. Alright Asher we need to get you showered and dressed so we can head up to breakfast.”  
He whines, “But Xa, I hate showers.”  
I look at Clarke and she smiles and shrugs at me. “Well, buddy if you don’t take a shower then you can’t go on my helicopter because I don’t allow stinky little boys on it. So, if you want to go to the fights, I suggest you go grab some clean underwear and clothes while I start the shower.”  
He sticks out his bottom lip in a cute pout and says, “Fine but mom always helps me wash my back and hair. Can you do it instead?”  
“Sure, I think I can handle that.”  
When he leaves the room, I look at Clarke who is now almost back asleep. “Hey, don’t even think about going back to sleep.”  
“Don’t take this the wrong way babe, but I’m rethinking what I said about waking up next to you. I may actually prefer the note and flower over whatever that was.”  
I laugh and kiss her. “I will work on it in the future but right now I need you to get up because we need to get ready and go up for breakfast. I’ll help Asher while you get dressed.”  
Thirty minutes later, the three of us are upstairs eating breakfast. Of course, we were the first ones up. It isn’t long before Callie and Ash walk up. Callie says, “Hey, baby boy. How did you sleep?”  
“Mom, I not a baby. I slept fine and already had a shower.”  
We all laugh, and Callie looks at me, “Was he okay? Did he bother you?”  
“He was fine except he says he isn’t fond of showers, but we got past that. Otherwise, we didn’t even know he was there.”  
Clarke speaks up, “Um, I beg to differ. These two hooligans decided to wake me up by jumping on me and tickling me. They seem to get up to no good when they are together.”  
Asher and I said at the same time, “Nuh uh, we are angels!”  
“Do you see what I am dealing with here?” Clarke says.  
Everyone is laughing when Asher says, “But, Clarke you said you and Xa’s kids would do the same thing.”  
Clarke and I both spit orange juice everywhere, which makes everyone laugh. Both our faces are red, and I look at Clarke and she starts to stutter. “I, I don’t know why I sa-aid that this morning. I was still half asleep and being tickled.”  
Ash looks at Callie and then me. I just shrug, “It’s fine, I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Kids just like to repeat everything they hear, apparently.”  
Callie’s cheeks are red now and she says, “Asher we talked about this. Lexa I’m sorry.”  
“No, it really is fine. Just to clear the air all Clarke said was, ‘is this what I have to look forward to when we have kids.’ It was just an innocent comment nothing more.” Clarke takes my hand under the table and gives it a squeeze.  
Ash says, “So, does this mean you two are a couple now?”  
Callie smacks her in the head, “Ash, leave them alone.”  
Clarke looks at me with a smile and I just shrug. Then she says, “Well…we were going to wait until after the fight to tell everyone, but yes. I want to give a relationship with her a chance. Please don’t tell anyone else though.”  
Callie and Ash both smile and say they are glad we are making a go of it. I say, “I do have a favor to ask the two of you, though.”  
Ash says, “Sure, anything.”  
“Would it be possible for the two of you to take Clarke shopping when we get to LA? I will watch Asher but when I picked her up yesterday, we were on my bike and things were heated so, I want her to buy whatever she needs.”  
Clarke looks at me, “What? No, I told you I could just wear something of yours and the stuff I could fit in my backpack. Plus, why would you need them to take me?”  
Ash starts dying laughing at this question and both Clarke and Callie say what at the same time. Ash responds, “She absolutely hates shopping, unless it’s for weapons or motorcycles. She is worse than a whiny baby when it comes to shopping.”  
“I’m not that bad!”  
“Would you like me to call my mom and get another opinion?”  
“Ha, ha, that won’t be necessary. Would you just agree to take her please?”  
Callie is laughing, “Yes, we would be more than happy to take Clarke shopping. I love to shop.”  
“And so does Ash. Great, thanks guys.”  
Clarke clears her throat, “Excuse me, but don’t I have a say in any of this? I don’t need you making plans for me and telling me what I need to do. If I want someone like that I will just go back to Finn.”   
She gets up quickly and starts to walk away. “Clarke, wait.” I catch up with her and notice she is about to cry. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I just want you to have some clothes…I just wanted to buy you what you need and well, Ash loves to shop, and I really do hate it but…I’m sorry. After the weigh-ins this afternoon, I will see what else I am required to do as far as my contract and then I will take you shopping on one condition.”  
“It’s fine, you don’t have to take me shopping. I’m sorry I overreacted.”  
“No, I’m to blame here. I didn’t think about what he put you through and for that I am sorry. I want to take you shopping, but only if you let me see you in whatever you try on.”  
She laughs, “You’re crazy, but sure.”

Clarke  
I was startled awake this morning with Asher jumping on me and then he and Lexa tickling me. I tried to act mad but actually after getting over being scared, it wasn’t bad. What made it even funnier is when they blamed each other for having the idea. It’s cute how good with Asher, she is, and it makes me realize that kids may be something I want in the future with her. I haven’t really thought about kids before except for being told that I was going to have them by Finn. I actually didn’t think I wanted any, but now maybe I do with her.  
Before I can think, I say, “So, is this what I have to look forward to with our kids? Being ganged up on.” Lexa immediately stops laughing and stares at me for a few seconds and I start to stutter, “I, I mean i-if…”  
She stops me with a kiss and says, “Yeah, probably.” The way she said it made me think that she has already ran though that possibility in her head. How could she know that she wants kids with me when we just got everything worked out between us last night? I’m glad she didn’t make a big deal out of it but what else does she have planned for us? Is she going to be like Finn and just expect me to do what she says?  
At breakfast, Asher repeats what I said about kids in front of Ash and Callie embarrassing the shit out of me and making me stutter once again. Lexa saves me by explaining the comment and we end up telling them about what we decided last night, and they are both extremely happy. Then things fell apart. Lexa decided that she wanted Ash and Callie to take me shopping when we got to LA without even asking me, which really pissed me off. I mean if I want someone to make my decisions for me then I might as well have stayed with Finn. I get up and walk away but she comes running after me and apologizes but I just don’t know, is this how it is going to be. In her defense, she does have a lot on her mind right now but…


	41. Lexa

About eleven o’clock, our car pulls up in front of the Staple Center for the fight weigh-ins. The scene reminds me of golden globes, I watched on TV while Ash was in her coma. There was a red carpet leading up to the entrance and the walkway was roped off with security guards standing every few feet. Once everyone was out of the car, everyone pretty much paired up, most with their significant others.   
Clarke and I were first, with Asher between us, Ash and Callie were next, Octavia and Morrigan and so on. I was really trying not to freak out with everyone looking but I was extremely nervous walking in front of all these screaming people. I was about halfway to the door when I hear someone scream my name from my right, when I look over it is Cree standing there waving with a big smile on her face. She has two men with her one on each side who I assume are her bodyguards.  
I let go of Asher and run over to her but as she takes a step towards me one of the security guards cuts her off. I look at him and say, “It’s fine, she is with me.”  
He replies, “If she was with you then she would’ve been in the car with you and not out here, ma’am. No one is allowed to cross the barriers.”  
“I’m telling you she is with me and you will let her come with me. If you would like I can call Dana but I’m sure that wouldn’t be good for you.”  
“Fine but from now on make sure all of your group arrives with you.”  
“Sure.” He opens the barrier and lets Cree and the two guys through. As soon as she is on the same side with me, she runs and jumps in my arms and kisses my cheek. “I can’t believe you are here! How did you even know I was fighting?”  
“Ash called and told me when she invited me to the cookout. I had to come. So, I guess Ash is back with the bitch since they are holding hands and who is the kid that had your hand?”  
I laugh, “There is so much I need to catch you up on later but right now I really need to get inside. Come on, walk with me.” I walk back over to Clarke and Asher holding Cree’s hand. Asher stares at Cree for a moment before looking at me and saying, “Xa how you know Babe?”  
I look at him confused and say, “Who is Babe?”  
He points to Cree, “Oh, I will tell you later. We really need to get inside.” When I look over at Clarke, she looks upset or pissed. I’m not sure which. I raise my eyebrow at her and ask, “Hey, are you okay?”  
She sort of snaps, “Fine, we will talk later.” Then she starts walking. Well, alright. I wonder what that was about.  
Once we finally get inside, I realize that the crowd outside is nothing compared to the one in here. I can only imagine what the place will look like on fight night if there are this many people here just for the weigh-ins. I am met inside the door by a guy telling me that me and my corner crew were to go down in front of the stage and wait for my name to be called everyone else will be show to their seats.  
I look at my group, who is supposed to be my corner crew? No one bothered to mention this at the contract signing. I look back at the guy and ask him, “Um…who is supposed to be in my corner?” He kind of laughs until he realizes that I’m being serious.  
“Oh, you must be the last-minute fill in to fight Jewel. I guess you’ve never fought before. So, usually you would have your trainers, cut man and doctor in your corner.”  
“Okay, thanks.” I turn around and face the group and say, “Clarke, Octavia and Jose you all come with me and the rest of you go with him to your seats. I feel a tug on my shirt and look down to see Asher looking at me. “What’s up buddy?”  
“Why can’t I go with you and Clarke?”  
“I’m not sure buddy, but I will see you after this is over. Besides, you can talk to my friend Cree. She will keep you company, right Cree.”  
She smiles, “Sure, I will.” She then leans in and gives me a kiss on the cheek and takes Asher’s hand with the one she was just holding mine with. I watch as they walk away and then turn to my little group and head down to the stage. Clarke and Jose lead the way as O, and I follow.  
O looks at me and says, “Dude, you could’ve told me Cree was going to be here. I would have dressed a little nicer. Also, what crawled up Clarke’s butt? She looks pissed.”  
“I don’t know! I tried to ask her, but she just snapped and said she was fine, and we would talk later. I don’t know what that is all about.”  
“If I had to guess, it would be the fact that a hot ass actress pretty much jumped your bones right there in front of everyone.” She laughs, “I know I would be pissed if Cree jumped into the arms of my girl and kissed her and then walked in holding hands to a major televised sporting event where people were snapping photos left and right.”  
“What are you talking about? One, there is nothing going on between Cree and I. Two, Clarke hasn’t said I was her girl, technically so, I don’t know why it is a problem.”  
“Remember when you first got here, and you told me to keep you straight with social ques that you miss? Well, I think you missed a big one here. Clarke may not have come out and said she wants to be with you yet, but we all know that she does. She’s simply scared and after what happened with Finn, I can’t really blame her. She’s pissed or jealous or both because of Cree showing up and acting the way she did with you, whether there is anything between you and Cree or not. She doesn’t know that. I think you should talk to her when we sit down.”  
“Great, how did I manage to mess up a relationship before I even technically had it? Thanks, O.” We get down to the front and find our reserved seats with about fifteen minutes before the event starts and there is a board listing the order of the weigh-ins. It looks like I go fifth. I sit beside Clarke and ask her if we can talk. I can tell she is upset but she says she is fine, and we will talk later at the hotel. I don’t want to wait to clear this up though.  
“Clarke, will you please come with me to the bathroom for a second. I really need to talk to you somewhere private and I don’t want to wait until later.”  
She looks at me and says, “I would really rather wait until after this is over.”  
“I can’t wait. I really need to clear this up now so that I can concentrate. If you won’t go with me, I will just talk right here.” I smile, “Or…I could go up on stage and profess my love to you in front of everyone here.”  
She cuts her eyes at me, “You wouldn’t dare!”  
“Wouldn’t I?” I start to get up.  
She jumps up, “Fine, let’s go.”  
When we get out of the packed room, we find a quiet spot and I start, “Clarke, remember when I told you about turning off my emotions? How I still have problems with some social ques and stuff. Well, O helped point out to me that I missed a noticeably big one earlier…”  
Clarke interrupts, “Lexa it’s fine. I overreacted when I saw that girl throw herself at you…well…”  
I hold up my hand, “No, please let me finish. I know I don’t always say or do the right thing, but I promise you can trust me. I’m not Finn, but you have to tell me when I do something wrong or that makes you uncomfortable. I’m still trying to figure out some social things. I’m sorry if I hurt you earlier but there is nothing between Cree and I we are friends nothing more.”  
“How do you even know her? If there is nothing between the two of you why was she kissing, you?”  
“I thought you heard the story of how we met. I saved her from being kidnapped while we were in DC. Then her dad hired me for the day to be her bodyguard. We just hung out for the day going to the museums and stuff. We just hit it off. At that time, I didn’t know anyone except Ash, and it was nice to have someone to hang out with and talk to. That’s it, I promise. Please, Clarke, you have to trust me otherwise this with us is never going to work.”  
She looks at the ground, “I do trust you. I’m sorry, I don’t know what is wrong with me. I just don’t like when other girls, especially hot actresses…I don’t want to share you with anyone. What makes it even worse is that no one knows that you are mine.”  
I laugh, “Ya amar, you have nothing to worry about in that department, not with Cree or anyone else. You are the only one I want. The only problem we are going to have is me being able to keep my hands and lips off of you.” I lean in to kiss her cheek but at the last minute she turns, and her lips meet mine and the firework works begin. I cannot get enough of this girl. I run my hands through her hair and onto the back of her neck pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. To soon, I hear someone clear their throat. When I turn around, I see Raquel and Tecia, laughing until they realize that it’s not Ash that I was kissing.  
Raquel says, “Um…sorry to interrupt Lexa but we just wanted to say a quick hello before the weigh-ins start and invite you and um…the rest of your group to dinner this evening.” Raquel looks at Clarke and then me.  
“Hey guys, this is my girl, um…m-my friend Clarke. Clarke this is Raquel and Tecia. They are the ones that got me this fight.”  
Clarke smiles, “Hi, actually, she had it right the first time. I’m Clarke her girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you.” She steps closer and puts her arm around my waist. I look at her and smile.  
Tecia says, “Sooo, I guess we will see you tonight?”  
“Of course, but are you sure you want the whole group? I brought a bunch of friends along with Ash and her kid.” Raquel gave me a surprised look and I say, “Yeah, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”  
They both laugh, “The more the merrier. I will text you the address later. Right now, we need to get back in there for the weigh-ins. Nice to meet you Clarke.”  
I smile and look at Clarke, “So we are doing this tonight? You and me?”  
“Yeah, I don’t want to wait any longer. I want everyone to know that you are mine and to keep their hands off you. We can tell everyone tonight at dinner. Sound good?”  
I pull her in for another scorching kiss as an answer. When I pull back, I look her in her beautiful green eyes and say, “I would love nothing more than to show you off as my girlfriend. Just remember, I’m going to screw up at some point like I did today, but as long as you trust me and talk to me, we will be able to work it out. I promise. Now let’s get back the weigh-ins are about to start. One last thing, I am really sorry about earlier. It shouldn’t take O pointing these types of things out to me, but hopefully one day I will figure it out. Until then, please bear with me.”  
She smiles at me and takes my hand, “I’m sure that I won’t be perfect either but I…I think I want to take the chance with you.”  
About twenty minutes later, I am standing alone behind a curtain waiting for my name to be called. I hear Joe Rogan say, “Now for the women’s featherweight division. First, we have the number four ranked Jewel ‘the KO Queen’ Budd. Her record is 14-3.” I hear the crowd go wild and then Joe announce her weight as 145 even. “Next we have a newcomer to the UFC, Lexa ‘Stryker’ Trikru. This will be her first official UFC fight.”   
I walk out onto the stage. At first, it is eerily quiet, but then my group start chanting, “Stryker, Stryker…” I step up to the scales and take off my shirt and sweats and step on the scale. “Lexa ‘Stryker’ Trikru official weight is 140 pounds.” I strike a pose showing off my abs and biceps before stepping off and walking over to Dana to face off with Jewel. I walk up shake her hand and then just stand there. She gets up in my face with her fist right in my face. I mirror her pose and the pictures are snapped. Then it is over, and I exit the stage to the left and go back to my seat.  
For the next hour we sit and watch the rest of the fighter’s weigh-in and face off. Finally, Rogan announces the main event, it’s a women’s strawweight title fight between Zhang and Torres. Wow, I didn’t realize that Tecia was also fighting or that she was fighting for the title. It would be amazing if we both won, that would make the celebration that much better afterwards.  
After the weigh-ins were finished, we met up with the rest of our group. Asher was stuck to Cree like glue. He finally let her go and she started towards me, suddenly I felt Clarke grab my hand and pull me close. I looked at her and smiled. Jess of course noticed this and said, “Um…Stryker is there something that you and Clarke want to share?”  
I just smirk and shrug. Clarke rolls her eyes at me and says, “We were going to wait until after the fight but what the hell! She wore me down and I have decided to give this crazy, romantic, dancing, singing fool at chance.”  
I cut my eyes at her, “Really? So, that’s what happened I wore you down and here I thought you just finally came to your senses and decided that you could no longer deny that you just had to have this amazingly carved body or was the word O used statue.”  
Everyone started laughing and Clarke said, “See what I’m talking about. She is a crazy fool.”  
“That might be true but now I’m your crazy fool, so there.” I finished with sticking my tongue out at her. That’s when Raquel and Tecia walked up.  
Raquel started laughing, “Nice, what are you five?”  
I looked at her and stuck out my tongue again. “Maybe, I just don’t like being called a crazy fool.”  
Raquel said, “Well, maybe you should use that tongue for something more useful than just sticking it out. Maybe use it like I saw you doing earlier and then she wouldn’t be calling you a fool.”  
I feel my ears turn red and look at Clarke whose entire face was red. Ash chuckles before saving me by saying, “Hey guys, nice to see you again.”  
Asher runs up to Tecia and tugs on her shirt, “Hey, you the tiny tornado. I like watching you fight and that is Rocky. She okay too. I’m Asher.”  
Tecia says, “I see we have missed quite a few major changes since we last met. Hey there little buddy. Thanks, who in this group do you belong to?”  
He laughs and points to Callie first then Ash, “That’s my mom and that’s my mommy and Xa is my bestest friend.”  
Raquel looks at Ash then me and I say, “It’s sort of a long story.”  
“Okay then, how about you all join us for dinner so we can get up to speed.”  
Cree speaks up, “I know what you mean. I feel like I am completely in the dark about all of this. I have the dining room reserved at my hotel’s restaurant the Chateau Hanare, why don’t you join us.”  
Raquel says, “Wow, that place is fancy. Sure, but it will have to be after the fan meet and greet say around 8:30.”  
I say, “Sounds good. I hate to run guys, but I promised my new girl here a shopping spree. Cree where is a good place to buy clothes around here.”   
Ash looked at me and said, “What? You are actually going shopping willingly. You must really like her then or else you are punishing her for something.”  
“Ha ha, Ash. Yes, I do really like her and if she wants me to take her shopping that is exactly what I’m going to do.” I smile at Clarke and see that her face is crimson red.  
Cree says, “Aw, you two are so cute. I can show you a couple of places that I like to go on Rodeo drive.”  
Raquel says, “Damn, who is this girl? She must be loaded renting out the restaurant and shopping on Rodeo drive.”  
Tecia smacks her in the back of the head and I laugh. “Sorry, this is Cree she is an actress here in Hollywood. Cree this is Raquel and Tecia, they are both UFC fighters.”  
Tecia says, “Nice to meet you. I thought you looked familiar, you play Babe, right? My nieces and nephews love your show.”  
“Yeah, that’s right. In that case I will bring you some autograph pictures to give them. Now Lexa, shopping?”  
I look at Clarke to make sure she is okay with Cree tagging along. She nods yes so; we follow Cree and her two bodyguards.


	42. Lexa

About a half hour later, I’m seated in the fanciest store I have ever been in drinking a bottled water and snacking on some sort of appetizers while Clarke is shopping. Now I could get used to shopping like this. Cree brought us in and talked to the salesgirl and told her that we were friends of hers and to treat us right, then to my surprise she said she would see us at dinner and to have fun.  
I think Clarke was glad that she didn’t hang around and I am good with whatever she wants. I can’t believe she decided to tell everyone about us. I thought she wanted to wait but I guess she was worried that I would get tired of waiting on her since she thought there was something between Cree and I. I don’t know why she would think that. I thought I had made it clear to her that I wasn’t interested in anyone else but her.  
I’m pulled from my thoughts by Clarke plopping down on the couch beside me. I smile and kiss her cheek, “Are you having fun? Finding anything?”  
“Lexa, have you seen the prices in here? They are crazy outrageous. Let’s just go somewhere else.”  
“Ya amar, don’t worry about the price. You just get whatever you want and then I need you to help me find something to wear to dinner tonight. I didn’t bring anything nice to wear and the way Raquel was talking this is some fancy restaurant we are going to.”  
“No, I refuse to pay these prices even if it is designer clothes that you can’t get anywhere else in the world.”  
“Babe, if you don’t pick something out, I will do it for you. Now come on.” I get up and walk over to a rack of dresses and start looking through them, when the salesgirl comes up.”  
She says, “If you see something you like and you don’t see your size let me know and I will check the back for you.”  
I say, “Thank you. Clarke, do you see anything you like?”  
“I told you, I see plenty that I like but…”  
“Please, Ya amar, let me do this for you. The price doesn’t matter to me. It’s just money, I can always make more. It only took me one day to acquire what I have so please let me do this for you. Just pick out whatever you want and try it on. Here, let’s go over to the suits and I will pick something out first and you tell me which one I should get, but if you tell Ash that I am actually enjoying myself…who am I kidding, she won’t believe you anyway.” I laugh and walk over to the men’s section. As I walk by the drink guy, I ask him if he has anything stronger than soda. He smiles and says, “What did you have in mind?”  
“Well, I can’t drink too much because I fight tomorrow night, but I could use a couple shots of tequila and a margarita for her?” He smiles and walks away. Meanwhile, I pick up a couple of suit jackets, a pair of black pants and a couple of shirts to try on.  
When I walk over to Clarke, the guy appears with drinks. I hand a shot to Clarke and offer a toast, “To the first of many shopping sprees with my girl.” I tap her glass with mine and throw it back. When I look, she is just staring at me. “What?” I ask. “Do you not want me to call you my girl? I didn’t mean y-you…”  
She takes the shot and then puts her lips to mine. All thoughts left my mind when her lips touch mine. I lost my breath and heard a moan escape her lips as she parted them. Our tongues met and began a sensual dance that blocked out the world. All that was left was this kiss: all encompassing, all tenderness, all passionate at the same time. We lost all concept of time as the kiss went on and on, our arms pulling each other closer and closer, until we heard a throat being cleared.  
I gently pulled away from the most kissable lips I had ever had the pleasure of kissing to find the drink guy standing there with Clarke’s drink. I grabbed it and mumbled a sorry and thank you before he hurried off. I turned back to Clarke and her cheeks were still flushed from the amazing kiss. I said, “Um…that was, I don’t know amazing can we do that some more.” I shake my head, “But, what was that for? I thought…”  
She put her finger up to my lips, making me quit talking. “Lex, you need to stop second guessing yourself every time you say something. I don’t mind you calling me your girl, in fact, I quite like the sound of it. I was just surprised, that’s all. This is all new to me and it may take time for me to process everything.”  
When she finishes, I say, “I’m sorry. I just really don’t want to screw this up and I have already made some big mistakes already. I’m new to this as well, other than Ash I have never been in a relationship. Now I’m not even sure she counts. Clarke y-you have changed my outlook on my behavior and the lifestyle that I have been living lately. I realize that I have been using the partying and one night stands to…I don’t know, dull the pain of watching you with Finn. You changed how I feel about myself. I don’t want anyone, but you and I know you aren’t sure about a lot of things but of that you can be sure. I’m not going to pressure you and if I do, please let me know. I’m just going to go with it, you set the pace, you call all the shots. Whatever happens, I’ll deal with it then.”  
She smiled, “Are you expecting me to run out on you?”  
I paused for a moment. I have worries, I’m only human, but I really need to word this right so that I don’t offend her. “Not necessarily, but you know if you decide you want to explore, I won’t hate you. It’d hurt, especially since you’re really the first person I’ve ever dated, even though I guess technically we haven’t actually been on a date, but I would completely understand.”  
She gives me this funny look and says, “Explain.”  
“Just…this is an entirely different world for you now and you may be attracted to me, but what is to say in a few weeks someone else won’t catch your attention? You could go out to the bar or club and meet the love of your life and then I’d be dropped. This is something I’ve always worried about, but I’m willing to accept with you. I’m excited about the possibilities and I feel good with you.”  
“I wouldn’t drop you.” she says stepping closer to me. “I couldn’t do that to you.”  
“You don’t know that, and you can’t say it won’t happen. Neither of us know where the hell this is going, but…I’m trying not to think about it.”  
“Good. You have nothing to think about. Now, we have wasted enough time. “Let’s see you in those suits.”


	43. Lexa

We made it back to the hotel in just enough time to drop off all our bags and change. I had to be at the fan meet and greet in about twenty minutes. Luckily, it was just downstairs so I didn’t have to rush too much, and it would be convenient to come back up and change before going to dinner with Cree and everyone.  
There was a knock on the door, when I opened it, in barged Jess followed by Angie. I look at them and say, “Um…hey guys. Can I help you with something?”  
Jess replies, “Have you seen what is showing up on social media and all the UFC websites? Look!”  
Jess turned her phone towards me, and I see a picture of me holding Cree while she is kissing my cheek and the caption says, ‘new UFC fighter Lexa Stryker Trikru with girlfriend actress Cree Cicchino.’ I immediately look at Clarke who is standing across the room looking at her phone. When she looks up, I can’t read her look and that scares me. She finally just shakes her head and says, “Whatever, it’s fine. We know the truth and that is all that matters to me.”  
I smile, “Really? I’m glad you feel that way, but this pisses me off. Where do they get off making assumptions about me when no one around here knows anything about me? Clarke, I want the entire world to know that you are mine. I-if you’ll be mine?”  
Clarke smiled harder than I can ever remember her smiling and says, “I am yours. I think I have been yours ever since the first night we met at the Dragon’s Den. I have been drawn to you since that first day. I’ve never felt this way and it scares me. My heart knew it then, but it has taken time for it to convince my head.”  
“So, I mean…” I bite my lower lip. “Officially? Tell the world about it kinda mine?”  
Clarke leaned in, capturing my lips. “Tell the world about it kinda yours. Yes.”  
I hear Jess and Angie aww at us. I look Clarke in the eyes and say, “Thank you. Will you do the honor of accompanying me downstairs to the fan event. I want everyone to see that we are together.”  
She says, “Um…sure. Do I have time to change and make myself presentable?”  
“Ya amar, you look amazing just as you are. But, you have about ten minutes to change before we head down.  
Once we are downstairs, we are met by Dana. He goes over what is expected tonight and then what will happen tomorrow. Then he asks me a couple of questions, one being what the song is I want playing when I walk to the ring. I have no idea! I look at Clarke and she shrugs but then says, “I know the perfect song, American Oxygen by Rihanna.” Dana looks at me and I just nod. Then he points me in the direction of the table where I am supposed to sit. I look over there and Jewel, my opponent is already seated at the table.  
We head inside. About halfway to the table I see a couple of press photographers, I look at Clarke and say, “Are you sure you don’t mind telling the world about us?”  
She looks at me confused, “What? I told you, my heart has been yours since the day we met. It just took some convincing for my head to follow, so yeah. Why?”  
I hold out my hand to her and she takes it interlocking our fingers, then I head right toward the photographers. I approach the first one and say, “Excuse me.” He looks over at me. “I’m Lexa Trikru, aka Stryker. I’m not sure who posted the photos earlier, but they are wrong. Cree Cinnhico and I are not dating, and I would appreciate it if you would take some pictures of me with my actual girlfriend, Clarke.” I hold up our hands and point to Clarke, who at this point is completely red in the face.  
The photographer looks at me and smiles, “Sure, I would be happy too. Sorry about the mix up it happens all the time, especially when we don’t know anything about the fighter. I know we shouldn’t jump on things, but it is hard to get a leg up in this town taking photos.”  
“It’s fine, no hard feelings.” He takes a few photos and then we head to the table. Two hours later, when we finish up, my hand has the biggest cramp ever. I have never signed my name that many times, but it was fun meeting the fans. Even though they had never heard of me, everyone still wanted me to autograph their poster and pose for pictures with Jewel. Clarke was by my side the entire time, which was amazing.  
We rush upstairs to change quickly so that we can meet everyone and head to dinner. When Clarke walks out of the bathroom, I forget to breath. She has on this red dress that hugs her perfect body stopping at the floor. The sides are held together by these little designs but is mostly see through. I mean I can see the outline of her perfect breasts which are not being held by a bra. I want nothing more than to stay right here and worship every inch of her body, but I’m not sure she is ready for that just yet.  
I finally find my voice, “Damn, you look amazing! I don’t remember you trying on that dress and trust me I would remember.”  
She smiles with her pink cheeks, “You clean up well also. I kept a couple of outfits just to myself, so that I could surprise you and see your reaction. Boy, I’m glad that I did because your face was priceless. Shall we go?”  
“Do we have to? I’d rather stay here with you and…”  
“And, what?”  
“Um…remember no pressure. I just want to be honest with you. I would really like to stay here and undress you slowly and then worship every inch of your beautiful body starting with your lips.”  
Her cheeks and ears were pink, but she was smiling. “Lexa, please don’t hold back with your comments because you think I will feel pressured. I trust you and know you would never pressure me into anything, but I would like to see more of this side of you without you having to worry about what you are saying upsetting me. I promise from now on to talk to you and let you know if I’m feeling pressured. Okay?”  
I look at the floor, feeling a little embarrassed. She steps closer and puts her finger under my chin making me look her in the eyes. I can’t help but stare into her amazing green eyes and think that I could spend the rest of my life right her looking at her. She says, “Okay? Do you hear me? Please just be yourself when you are with me.”  
“Yeah, sure. I can handle that but…I’m not sure you can.” I laugh and lean in and bring our lips together with urgency. I let out a moan as I pressed myself closer to her and our chests meet. God, I wish we didn’t have on all these clothes, but I don’t try to remedy this as I get lost in the kiss. The only thought that ran through my head is that I want to do this all night. I never want this kiss to end.  
And the kiss didn’t end until I hear and felt vibrating. I pull back slightly and look at Clarke. Her eyes have opened and we both realize it is my phone vibrating in my back pocket. Clarke smiles as I reach into my pocket, slide the phone out and throw it on the nearby bed. I then put my hands on the back of her head and bring out lips together again.  
The phone is momentarily forgotten until it begins vibrating again. She pulls back and says, “I think someone wants to talk to you.”  
“I don’t care,” I say and lean down to kiss her again. Once again, the phone vibrated. Clarke smiles and buries her head in the crook of my neck, while I try to stop the annoying phone but can’t find it. She giggles and looks at the bed, reaches for the phone.  
“Here,” she said, handing me the phone. “They are persistent.”  
I stand there with my eyes closed, frustrated. “I’m so sorry,” I say as I open my eyes, my brow creasing with sadness.  
“It’s okay.”  
“But I was having such a good time.”  
She laughed and looks up at me. “So was I but it may have saved me from ripping your clothes off.”  
I look at her standing there smiling at me, “I would love that!”  
She chuckles, “Look the first time I have sex with you isn’t going to be the night before your fight or something that I want to be rushed while doing.”  
I take a deep breath and sigh. “That gives me so much to look forward to.”  
“Me too,” She says, giving me a peck on the lips. “Check your phone while I use the bathroom one last time.  
I look at my phone and see a text from Ash, one from O and one from Reed asking where we are. They all say that everyone is waiting on us. Great, I’m all worked up and have to go to dinner with this group and listen to my life story told once again. All I want to do is stay in the room and snuggle with Clarke. I don’t care if we have sex or not, I just want to spend time with her alone.  
When she comes out of the bathroom, I hold out my arm for her to take and say, “The natives’ downstairs are getting restless. We should probably go before someone comes looking for us, but I hope this can be continued later.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her and she shakes her head at me. When we get downstairs, Jess says, “Have you seen the new posts on social media?”  
Clarke says, “No, we have been a little busy?” Jess raises her eyebrow in question and Clarke turns red realizing how it sounded.   
Jess says here and hands her phone over for Clarke and I to look at. I scroll through a couple of photos of Clarke and I at the fan event. The photos look great, but the captions piss me off. One says, “New UFC fighter Stryker, seen with a different girl at every event.” Then there is a photo of me flexing at the weigh-ins with the caption ‘Wow, what a body!’ I just shake my head and pull Clarke close as we exit the hotel.  
It didn’t take us long to pull up in front of the fanciest hotel and restaurant I have ever seen. Raquel, Tecia and Cree were all standing out front waiting on us. I actually had a great time, for once, most of the stories revolved around Ash, Callie, and Asher. Except when Raquel ask me how I knew Cree.  
I looked at Cree and said, “Go ahead and tell the story.”  
“Nope, you’ve been too quiet all night. It is your turn to tell a story.”  
“But…I don’t like talking about myself. It just sounds like I’m cocky.”  
Ash says, “It’s not being cocky if you can back up what you say and believe me you can.”  
Clarke reaches over and kisses me on the cheek, “Go ahead sweetie. I want to hear you tell the story.”  
“Fine! Ash, Amelia, and I were exploring the war memorials one night, or at least I was while they sat on a bench and chatted. Anyway, I was walking looking at the Vietnam Wall it was pretty dark, but the stars and moon were out, and I was just enjoying being there. Suddenly, I heard a muffled scream and see a guy pulling a girl into the wooded area. She was kicking and trying to get away. I yelled to Ash and then followed them into the woods. When I caught up to them, I realized there are five guys surrounding the girl. So, I tell them to leave her alone. Of course, he tells me that it was none of my business. That it was between him and his sister and for me keep moving. Instead, I ask the girl, Cree, if she knew the guys? She shook her head and said that she had never seen them before in her life and asked me to please help.”  
Ash laughs and says, “Of course, Lexa is a sucker for women in distress, so she had to help.” Everyone laughs.  
“Ha, ha, Ash. When Ash finally decides to come see what is going on, she tells her mom to call 911. Cree was surrounded by five guys. After I heard Amelia talking to the 911 operator, I told the guys if they left then they could get way without going to jail. He just laughed and said that there were five of them and only one of me. Then he pulled out a gun and the other four pulled out knives. Cree screamed when he pointed the gun at her.”  
Ash interrupts, “Obviously, Lexa went into protect mode and stepped in between her and the gun. I warned her that she didn’t have her armor on like she was accustomed to in the desert. Then mom told her that the 911 operator said to wait for the police and not to get involved. Like that was really going to happen.”  
“I looked at the dude and told him he had ten minutes to get out of there before the cops arrived. I tried to keep him talking by asking him what he was doing, figuring if he would talk the cops would have time to get there before they did anything stupid. He replied by saying that he was kidnapping her. Now you have to remember that I had no idea who she was or if this sort of thing was a common occurrence since I had only been in America for a couple of days. I just knew that I couldn’t let anything happen to her if I could help it. So, I told him in order for him to take her he would have to be willing to kill me. Which apparently, he didn’t have a problem doing because I hear him start to squeeze the trigger on his gun, so I quickly pull and throw a dagger from my belt holster and hit him in the hand making him drop the gun. Then I told Cree to run, which she does. She runs over to Ash and Amelia. The other four guys circled up around me. I have another knife, but I didn’t want to use it quit yet.   
Ash speaks, “I told her that I was going to help her, but she told me no, that I needed to protect Cree because they were trying to kidnap her.”  
“Whatever, long story short, Cree wasn’t kidnapped, and the guys ended up in police custody.”  
Cree says, “Um…you left out the part where you kicked all of their asses, killing one and taking a bullet in order to save Amelia.”  
Clarke gasped, “What do you mean? She was shot?”  
I look over at her worried expression and say, “It was just a graze which only required a few stitches. It was nothing, really. Besides, that was the less dramatic fight I was in while in DC.”  
Clarke says, “I’m afraid to ask what you mean by that?”  
“Really? I thought that you had heard all of these stories the other night. Did Callie tell you about the bar fight?”  
Callie says, “Not really other than to say that you saved my life even though you didn’t like me at the time.”  
Reed asks, “Well is someone going to fill us in on that story, or what?”  
I shake my head and say, “Not me. I’ve talked about myself enough for one night.”  
Ash says, “Okay, I will handle this one.” Then her phone rang, and she went outside to answer it, which I thought was weird. When she came back, I could tell something was wrong, but she didn’t say anything and just jumped back into the conversation. I decided to wait until we got back to the hotel and ask her about it then.  
After she left Callie says, “I guess that means I will tell this story. So, after I surprised Ash in DC for her medal ceremony things got…well a little complicated. We all decided to go out to dinner and get to know one another better. Everything was going fine until these eight guys came in and started getting handsy with us. Then one of them grabbed Amelia and shit went sideways quick. One of the guys taunted Lexa and said there are eight of us what are you going to do? Lexa what was it that you said?”  
I roll my eyes and say, “I don’t really remember.”  
She says, “Well I do because I thought you were the biggest idiot in the world for saying it. You said, ‘I really do enjoy a good challenge!’”  
Clarke looks at me like I’m a complete fool and says, “Please tell me that’s not really what you said.”  
I just shrug my shoulders as Callie goes to continue, I say, “Actually, I also remember saying I would back up if I were you. Things are about to get a little messy. Then I asked the guys if they really liked the odds because I did.”  
Clarke says, “Okay now you are sounding a little full of yourself.”  
Callie laughs as Ash sits back down and says, “Okay where are you in the story? What did I miss?”  
I reply, “Well, Clarke just called me full of myself because I asked the goons if they liked their odds.”  
Ash smiles before saying, “Yeah that was pretty funny but if you think that is cocky wait until you hear what she said next…  
I interrupt, “What did you guys do memorize what happened?”  
Callie laughs, “We do have it on video. Hold on I will pull it up while Ash tells this part and then you can see it for yourselves.”  
Ashe says, “Alpha, is what we called the main guy, anyway he looks at his buddies and they all start to laugh, and he says, ‘You are kidding right? Two women against eight men, yeah we like the odds.’ So, Lexa says, ‘Not at all, I love this shit! Haven’t you seen my YouTube video from Dubai?’ Then Alpha says, What? Lexa then says, Wow, that’s a shame, maybe if you watched it you would know not to start shit with me or my girl. Oh well, that’s one of your mistakes but you might want to check it out after I kick your asses. Now can you please unhand my future mother-in-law so we can be on our way and spare you the humiliation of getting beat down by, how did you put it two women.’”  
At this point, Callie has the video pulled up and everyone watches how the fight plays out and sees how I managed to keep Callie from getting shot.  
Clarke looks at me with amazement and asks, “How did you know that you could get to the gun in time?”  
“I didn’t really but I had to try otherwise someone probably me would have been shot. I just heard the click of the hammer, so I took a step toward him, grabbed the hand with the gun, and pushed up hard, as the hammer hit the firing pen. I felt the bullet whiz by my ear and then my ears began to ring. Luckily, I was able to escape with just a broken nose and some stitches.”  
Two hours later, Ash, Callie, Asher, Clarke, and I were heading back to the hotel while the rest of the group decided they were going clubbing with Cree. As we said our goodbyes, I reminded O and Jose not to get too trashed because I needed their head in the fight tomorrow. The ride back to the hotel was pretty quiet except for Asher’s snoring, which was cute. He had fallen asleep with his head on my shoulder so, I got out and carried him up to his room. After I put him in the bed, I asked Ash, “Can we talk outside for a minute?”  
She replies, “Let me change and I will come to your room.”  
“Sure.”  
Twenty minutes later, there is a knock on our door. Ash walks in and says, “I guess you want to know about the phone call?”  
“I know something has been off ever since you took it so, yeah. Who was it?”  
Clarke speaks up, “Um…I will just go, so you two can talk.”  
Ash says, “That’s not necessary as long as what you hear stays in this room, that includes not a word to Callie.”  
“O-okay, this sounds serious.”  
“Yeah, it is.” Ash says, then she looks at me and says, “First, have you told Clarke about what Abby found when she ran your blood test?”  
Clarke looks at me and I look at Ash and say, “Um…no but only because I didn’t understand it or let her finish telling me about it because she told you.”  
Clarke speaks up, “Can someone please explain what is going on?”  
I look at Ash and say, “What does this have to do with your phone call? Can you explain it to her, or should I call Abby and let her explain it?”  
I hear Clarke say, “Hello.” When I look at her, she is on the phone, I assume with Abby.  
Next, she says, “Mom, I need you to explain what you found in Lexa’s blood test?”  
I’m not sure what is said, but she hands me the phone. I say, “Hello, Abby.”  
“Lexa, what is going on? Why is Clarke asking about your blood test?”  
“Abby, I honestly don’t know is going on but, I need you to explain everything to her.”  
“Not until I know what is going on.”  
“Fine, let me put you on speaker with Ash, Clarke and I so that Ash can explain.” I hit speaker and tell Ash to continue.  
Ash says, “Hey Abby. Here is what is going on…” She explains how she asked Julian to keep an ear out for anything related to what Abby had found out about me or anything related to the blood tests and how he had contacted her a while back but wouldn’t talk over the phone. Julian insisted they needed to talk in person so he would be at the cookout on Sunday. He called again tonight and told her that she needed to have her go bag ready that she would need to fly back to DC after the cookout. “That’s all he would tell me over the phone. I won’t know any more until Sunday. He said for me to plan to be gone for at least a month if not more.”  
Abby says, “What does this have to do with Clarke?”  
Ash replies, “Nothing really, she was…well maybe that is something you need to discuss with her.”  
I say, “Abby, I’m going to give the phone back to Clarke now so that you two can talk. You have my permission to tell her anything she wants to know about me, alright? I hope to see you soon, be safe.” I hand the phone back to Clarke and tell her I will be back in a little bit.  
Ash and I walk out into the hall. “Ash, I’m not letting you go by yourself. You know, that right?”  
“I was afraid you were going to say that, but you really don’t have a choice. You can’t go because you technically were never in the service and this is a government operation. I promise to tell you everything after the cookout so that you won’t be in the dark about what is going on, but you have to promise me that you will stay here and not try and follow me. Besides, there is something that I need you to do and you are the only one I trust to do it.”  
“Fine, I promise not to follow you, but know if you miss a check in with Julian…I will come for you. Now what do you need from me?”  
“I have no doubt that you will, and I promise I will leave a contingency plan for you in case something does happen. Actually, there are a couple of things I need to talk to you about. First and most importantly, I need you to promise to take care of Callie and Asher while I’m gone. I know things have been…I’m sorry to have to ask…”  
I stop her by saying, “I understand, Ash and it’s fine. I promise not to let anything happen to them and I will take care of them. You don’t have to worry about them, I’ve got your six.”  
She nods with tears running down her cheeks. “Thanks, I trust you completely. Now comes the hard question. I know things have been difficult between us, but I feel like we are in a good place right now and that you have Clarke. I can see how much you like her and I’m glad you found her. I know it may still be too soon to think we can talk about our relationships with other people, but I really need to talk to you about Callie.”  
“Ash, it’s fine. I want us to be able to talk to each other about everything, including our relationships. I really am happy for you and Callie. I hate to say it, but I can see why you fell for her. She really is a great mom and a good person. As far as Clarke, I do like her a lot. The problem is I have no idea what I’m doing. I mean, I’ve really never been in a relationship other than with you and I kinda don’t think…if you really think about it, was it really a relationship or just two people who really needed each other to get through an exceedingly difficult situation. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our time together but…”  
She interrupts me, “I know what you mean. So, what I want to ask is…well, you are the most romantic person I know and…Callie is going to freak when she finds out about me having to leave. I wouldn’t be asking you the night before your biggest fight if it wasn’t important…”  
“Ash stop rambling and spit it out already. I would like to get some alone time with Clarke tonight even if she’s not ready to have sex yet.”  
Her jaw drops and she starts to stutter, “Y-you mean…are you saying that you haven’t had sex yet. I-I’m sorry that’s none of my business but…”  
I laugh, “I told you I wanted to be able to talk to you about anything so I figured if I shared something then you would just go ahead and ask whatever it is you want to ask me. But, since that is the question you decided to ask, I will answer it. No, we haven’t had sex yet and I don’t even care. Her kisses are so explosive and…well, I think I could be happy never having sex again as long as I can kiss her.”  
“Wow, I don’t know what to say about that except if kissing her is that great, imagine how good the sex will be!”  
I punch her, “So, what do you need from the most romantic person you know, other than a promise to keep your woman warm while you are gone.” I say and laugh.  
She throws a punch of her own, but I dodge it. “Don’t even play like that Alexandria Sahar Trikru. Like I said, Callie is going to freak out when she finds out that I have to leave. I’m afraid she is going to think that I am running again, and I wouldn’t blame her. It is kinda what I do. Lexa, I know this is bad timing with your fight and all, but I really want to ask Callie to marry me…I-I hope you are okay with it, but I will understand if you aren’t.”   
She looks down at the floor and waits for me to speak. I can’t say that I was expecting this now…or so soon, but I can understand given the situation. It still stings some until I think of Clarke, then I don’t know…I just feel better. “That’s great Ash, really. I’m happy for you. What do you need from me?”  
“I was hoping that maybe you could go with me to pick out a ring tomorrow. I understand if it is too much, but you are my best friend and…I just need you right now.”  
I smile, “I will be happy to help with anything you need Ash. I will text Cree and find out where we should go, but we will have to do it early because I have to be at the arena by one.”  
“That’s fine. I will tell Callie that you want me to help you with a short training session before everyone gets to the arena. Now, there is one more thing. Can you help me figure out how to do it…I mean how to ask her?”  
I shake my head and laugh, “Ash, don’t you think that is something that you should do?”  
“Well, yeah…but when you proposed to me it was so romantic and…it is something I will never forget, and I want that for her. I have put her through so much, I just want to do this right.”  
“Yeah, it’s something I will never forget either. Even though I really didn’t think you would say yes, it still hurt.”  
“Lexa, I’m sorry, but if I had…”  
I stop her, “I know. In the long run it wouldn’t have lasted, and we wouldn’t be where we are right now. Look, I was going to surprise everyone tomorrow night when we got back to the yacht. I had Mickey and Cree pull some strings and got a band to play the party. I was thinking that I may sing Clarke another song, you know just to let her see I wasn’t drunk the other night when I sang to her. The band, Florida Georgia Line, has a song called ‘Grow Old’. What if you sang it to Callie and then brought her up on stage and got down on one knee and asked her in front of all our friends. You can call your mom and have her be there when we get back so she can see the proposal I can have a bouquet of flowers ready and you can put the ring box open in the middle of the flowers. When you go down on your knee, I will hand it to you and when she looks down, she will see the ring.”  
“That is amazing Lexa! How do you come up with such romantic things? Um…just one problem. I can’t sing.”  
“What do you mean, you can’t sing? Everyone can sing, even if it is badly.”  
“No, I mean I really can’t sing. When I sing along to the radio, dogs howl. It’s that bad. You can ask mom, they kicked me out of music class and the choir at church wouldn’t even let me hum with them. What else do you have?”  
“Fine, what if I make a short speech about, I don’t know something. Then I call you and Callie up on the stage and you say something like, ‘Callie, I know we have had a complicated relationship, but I want to dedicate this song to you. Will you dance with me?’ Then the band will play the song while you dance. After the song, you do the rest.”  
“Okay…but what if you sing it for me. You know be my wing woman like Goose in Top Gun, when Maverick sings to the girl at the bar. Wouldn’t that be better?”  
“Fine! But you owe me big time.” I say laughing, “Now can I please go snuggle with my girl now that I have agreed to help my ex propose to her baby mama.”  
We hear a gasp and the door close. Great! I rush inside to find Clarke locked in the bathroom. I knock, “Hey, Ya amar, what’s wrong? Open the door please.”  
I hear a sniffle, “I thought you wanted to be with me?”  
“What? I do! What are you talking about?”  
“You just said you were going to propose to your ex!”  
Ash says, “What? No, that’s not what she said. I was asking her to help me propose to Callie, my baby mama. I promise, that is what we were talking about. Lexa wants you, not me!”  
The door opens a crack, and she peeks out at us. “Baby, please come out. I promise we were coming up with a plan for Ash to propose to Callie before she has to leave. Ash is afraid that Callie will think she is running again and wants to show her she isn’t. You are the only one for me. I told you, I would never lie to you and I won’t. Please come out so I can hold you. All I want is to get in bed with you and snuggle and relax.”  
She wipes her eyes and comes out and walks into my arms. I wrap her in a tight hug and kiss her temple. She pulls back and I am looking into the most beautiful green eyes. I get lost in her eyes until she says, “Do you promise?”  
“Yes, Ya amar. I promise. Ash?”  
Ash looks at Clarke and says, “Clarke, I promise too. I just needed her help because…well, she is the most romantic person I know, and I want to make the proposal special.”  
Charley looks between the two of us and smiles before pulling away from me and going to Ash. She hugs her and says, “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions and you’re right. My girl is very romantic, so I’m sure whatever she came up with will be amazing. Do you have a ring?”  
Ash starts to stutter, “Um…w-well, n-no. I was hoping to borrow ‘your girl’ for about an hour or so tomorrow to help me pick one out. I was also hoping that you might keep Asher and Callie busy during that time.”  
She laughs and shakes her head, “You two are both amazing people. I can’t believe that after all you have been through in your relationship and break up that you get along well enough to well, I’m sorry. It is just a little weird that Lexa is going to help you not only propose but buy a ring after you turned down her proposal.”  
Ash smiled, “Ouch, that stung a little, but I get it. I hope that our relationship isn’t going to cause problems in yours. If it is, I will…well, I will walk away. I need for Lexa to be as happy as I am even if it means giving her up completely.”  
I think my eyes almost pop out of my head. What did she just say? Clarke must see the concern on my face because she comes over and kisses me on the cheek before speaking. “I would never ask that of the two of you. You have a unique bond and friendship. It is just a little weird for me right now, but I’m sure in time I will get used to it. Now, Ash if you don’t mind. I would like to be alone with MY girl now.”  
Ash says, “Point taken. See you tomorrow.”  
After the door closed behind Ash and my eyes met Clarke’s, I could feel the electricity. I placed both hands on each side of her face and pull her towards the bed, kissing her in the same motion. When my legs hit the side of the bed, I sat down and pulled her onto my lap, never breaking the kiss. Clarke moans as my tongue begins to explore her mouth and a warmth of passion ignites between my legs.  
She pulls back and our foreheads meet. We both smile shyly. “Lexa, I-I don’t think…”  
I stop her with a peck on the lips, “I know babe. It’s fine. I just want to snuggle with you and maybe kiss you some more. If that’s okay with you.”  
“I think that can be arranged, but after we have a chat about you and what my mom told me.”


	44. Lexa

I wake up early the next morning with my arms around Clarke. I could really get used to this. I love this time of the morning when I can just lay here and hold her while I watch her sleep. She is so peaceful with her golden blonde curls wildly laid out on the pillow around her head.  
“Why are you staring at me while I sleep?” she says without opening her eyes.  
“Because I’m awake and I enjoy looking at the most beautiful person on the planet while she looks so peaceful and content.”  
She turns to face me, finally opening her amazing green eyes. She smiles and gives me a peck on the cheek. I say, “Besides, I love holding you in my arms and with your busy schedule when we get back, I don’t know when I will get to do it again.”  
She sighs, “I know. I’ve been thinking about that too. After the ordeal with Finn, I don’t really feel safe staying at home until my mom gets back, whenever that will be.”  
“You know, you can stay with me until she gets home.”  
“I know and I think I will, but right now don’t you have a ring to pick out.”  
“Wow, moving in and demanding a ring so early in the relationship. What kind of ring would you like my dear?”  
Her face turns bright red and her jaw drops open. The look on her face is priceless as she says, “Wh-what? No, I meant for Callie.”  
“Now you want me to buy a ring for another woman. I wish you would make up your mind!” This earns me a smack on the shoulder before she says, “You really are an idiot, now get out of my bed and go do whatever it is you need to so you can take me out to lunch before we have to be at the arena.”  
I start laughing at her and then begin to tickle her. Soon she is swatting at me and shooing me out of the bed. I send a quick text to Cree asking about a jewelry store and then to Ash before getting in the shower. About an hour later, we are at some super fancy jewelry store in Beverley Hills. We have to be buzzed in by the saleswoman. As she begins asking Ash a million questions about what she is looking for, I decide to look around.  
I would like to get Clarke a small gift for agreeing to be my doctor this weekend and to show her how much I care for her. I don’t want to go overboard though and scare her away. This place has so much to choose from, I can’t decide. When I look up, Ash is waving me over to her where she is holding a diamond ring. “What do you think about this one?”  
I take a look at it, but it’s not like I have any idea what Callie likes. Ash starts to tell me about the ring, “It is a two-carat round cut, it is clear and flawless. The band is titanium, and I am thinking of having Asher’s birthstone on one side of the diamond and mine on the other, at least until we have another kid.”  
“Wow, you are thinking of having another kid. I think the ring is beautiful and like the idea of the birthstones.”  
Ash looked at the saleswomen and said, “I’ll take it. How long will it take to add the stones?”  
She replies, “Only about an hour. Is there anything else I can help you with while you wait?”  
I speak up and say, “Actually there is. I want to get something special for my girlfriend but nothing outrageous. We haven’t been together that long. I was thinking something simple but meaningful. Do you have any suggestions?”  
“Well, let me think…how about a charm bracelet with a charm that means something to you. Here let me show you.”  
We walk over to a display that has several different styles of bracelets made of different metals. I immediately see the perfect one. It has titanium cable links that alternate with 18 carat gold smaller links and is closed with a simple bar that has emeralds on each end that matches the color of Clarke’s eyes. I point to it and say, “I’ll take that one and I want a heart charm engraved with ‘you hold my heart’. Ooh, do you have a boxing glove charm?”  
She smiles, “You know I think we do.”  
She goes into the back and comes back with a charm that is perfect. “Is it big enough to engrave something on it?”  
“I believe we can make it work. What did you have in mind?”  
“Could you put ‘Stryker’ on it?”  
“Sure. I can have them both finished in about an hour. Did you want to wait or come back later?”  
I look at Ash, “Do you want to go grab a snack or something while we wait?”  
“Sure, we will be back. Thank you for your help.”  
An hour and a half later, I walk into the room with the bracelet hidden in my pocket to find Clarke laying in the bed sleeping. I tuck the gift into my fight gear bag before walking over and sitting on the bed. I sit there looking at her wondering how I got so lucky. I run my fingertips through her hair to move it away from her face and then lean down to kiss her lips but at the last minute I decided to kiss the soft spot just below her earlobe. She let out a moan that drives me wild. I take her earlobe into my mouth and nibble on it and I’m rewarded with another moan. I can’t take it any longer, so I brush my lips against hers and her eyes flutter open as her tongue enters my mouth. This time I was the one who let out a moan as I stare into the most beautiful green eyes, she moves her arms out from under the sheet and rests one hand on each side of my face allowing the sheet to slip down her body to reveal perfectly round petite breasts. They were proportionate to her frame with nipples that were contained and well defined and I can’t help but notice how they were standing at attention.  
I was torn on where to look. It was my first time seeing this part of Clarke’s body, but I could stare into her eyes all day. She pulls me in and claims my mouth for a demanding kiss. Instinctively, I climbed into the bed so that I am straddling her with one hand beside her head holding me up and the other one began to roam down her side and back up caressing her breast. I roll her nipple between my fingers and bite down gently on Clarke’s bottom lip. The first contact of my hand on the soft skin by her breast was electrifying and took my breath away making me feel light-headed.  
“Mmm,” Clarke exclaims. “Oh Lexa.”  
Encouraged, I pulled away from her lips to blaze a trail of ardent kisses along the underside of her jaw, over her throat, expertly kissing and licking my way down to her left breast as I took the right one in my hand. I licked around her left nipple as I rolled the right between my thumb and pointer finger. I am met with more moans of pleasure from her. I don’t think I have ever heard anything so sweet. I could do this all day, but I need more. I need more of her skin touching mine. Her hands had reached down to my backside and was slowly making their way under my shirt and pulling me closer as I continued to pay homage to her pert nipples. I run my hand down her hip to the outside of her thigh, feeling goosebumps rise where I touch. Knowing that my touch is giving her such pleasure is dizzying. In spite of this rather obvious confirmation that I was doing everything right, I suddenly remembered that we had decided to take it slow. I hesitate and pull back so that I am looking her in now dark green eyes. “Um…Clarke, are you sure? If I go much further, I’m not going to be able to stop.”  
“Oh, God you feel so good! I don’t want you to stop but…y-you have to fight in a couple of hours and as much as I want to continue, I don’t think we should. I don’t want to be rushed or be the reason you are too tired to fight and you end up getting hurt.”  
I take a deep breath and roll off of her. We just lay there in silence for a few minutes before Clarke says, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”  
“Don’t apologize…that was w-well it was amazing. I enjoyed it very much and you are completely right about stopping when we did. My question is why are you lying in bed naked and asleep? I thought you wanted to go to lunch.”  
She laughs, “I do. Just let me get dressed. Callie and I went to the steam room and sauna to relax and then I took a shower and was just going to lay down for a few minutes before getting dressed and well here we are.”


	45. Lexa/Ash

We are met at the fighter’s entrance by Dana. As he walked us to my dressing room, he explained the schedule. I would be fighting in the second preliminary fight of the night and it was scheduled to start at about five pm. He said that someone would come and tell us when it was five minutes till fight time and at that time, we needed to make our way to the entrance to the arena and await my music to begin playing. Once the music played, I would walk down the walkway and out into the arena where I would be met by an official to check my gloves and mouthpiece before entering the ring. The ring announcer would then announce both fighters and the ref would take over from there. After the fight I would come back to the dressing room and be checked out by a UFC doctor and then could shower and make my way out to watch the rest of the fights.  
It was now only two, so I have about three hours to relax and then warm up. It was just Clarke and me right now. Jose and O would hopefully be here shortly. I looked at Clarke, “Hey, remember that massage you gave me at the tournament in the locker room? Do you think I could get another one to loosen up before I start warming up?”  
She smiles, “On one condition, everything between now and the end of the fight stays professional. No fooling around, you need to concentrate.”  
“What? I don’t get a good luck kiss before the fight.”  
“Fine, one good luck kiss before you go into the ring.”  
I step close and take her in my arms and kiss her deeply. “Alright, deal starting now.”  
She smacks me and shakes her head, “Go get changed into your fight gear and then come out and lay on the table face down.”  
I smirk and say, “Yes ma’am, whatever you say, doc.”  
Time flies when you are having fun and before I know it, it is thirty minutes until fight time. O has my hands taped and my gloves on. I am warm and loose and just pacing back and forth. Soon there is a knock on the door, meaning it is time to go. I look at Dom and say, “What are the odds on the fight? Right now, you are the underdog at -600, but that is to be expected.”  
Clarke says, “Are you fucking kidding me right now. You need to concentrate on the fight not the betting odds.”  
I smirk, “O you know what to do, right?” She nods and we head out the door. Octavia and Jose in front and Clarke and I walking hand in hand as American Oxygen plays. Breathe out, breathe in/American oxygen, woah/Every breathe I breathe/Chasin’ this American Dream/We sweat for a nickel and a dime/Turn it into an empire, whoa/Breathe in this feeling/American, American oxygen.  
When I step into the arena, the crowd goes wild. I can’t believe how many people are here. I look down front and find Ash and the group screaming and yelling. As I get closer, Asher runs to the barrier and I can hear him yelling ‘Xa, over here!’ I smile and walk towards him. People I don’t know are holding out their hands to give me high fives, it is awesome. By the time I make it to Asher, Ash is there beside him. He says, “Xa, I need to give you a good luck hug and kiss. Pick me up.” I look at Ash and she nods and hands him over the railing to me.  
I say, “Hey buddy, thank you so much for this wonderful hug and kiss. You are going to be my good luck charm, okay buddy.”  
He just laughs and says, “I know I am now go out there and kick her butt!”  
I laugh and hand him back to Ash. Once she sets him down, she reaches and pulls me into a hug and tells me good luck. I say, “Thanks, when I win can I come get him and take him into the ring with me?”  
“If you win, you can do whatever you want!”  
Five minutes later, I have been cleared to enter the ring. I turn and hug O and Jose, then I reach for Clarke and take her face into my hands and kiss her deeply. I then climb in the ring. I run a lap around the cage and then start to stretch out my arms.   
The announcer says, “Introducing first: in the red corner we have the challenger, a free style fighter, hailing from Afghanistan, now fighting out of San Francisco, California. She stands in at five foot nine inches tall, weighing one hundred and forty pounds, with a reach of seventy-two inches. This is her first professional fight. I give you Lexa ‘Stryker’ Trikru.” I raise my hand and the crowd goes wild.  
“In the blue corner, a kickboxer and mixed martial artist, with a pro record of 14-3. She is fighting out of British Columbia, Candia. Standing five foot eight inches and weighing one hundred and forty-five pounds. She has a sixty-nine-inch reach and is currently ranked the number four featherweight in the world. She is the former Bellator Women's Featherweight world champion Jewel ‘the KO Queen” Budd.” She raises her hand, and the crowd erupts into cheers and screams of ‘KO Queen’.”  
After the introductions, the ref says, “Fighters to the center. Okay, you have been given the rules in your locker room. Do you understand them?” We both nod affirmative. “Alright, let’s have a good clean fight. Touch gloves now if you want and then go to your corners and wait for the bell.  
I head over to where O, Jose and Clarke are standing outside the cage. Octavia looks at me and says, “You ready?”  
I smirk and say, “I was born for this shit!”  
Clarke shakes her head at me, “Please be careful.”  
The bell rings and I head cautiously to the center of the ring.  
  
Ash  
The bell rings and Lexa walks to the center cautiously as does her opponent. They both throw a few jabs to try and get the others timing and distance down. Lexa ducks down and throws a right hook to the body and then a left uppercut. They both land solid and seem to surprise Jewel. Asher is on his feet jumping up and down yelling. He is so excited. They each land a couple of jabs but nothing significant. The round continues with Lexa stalking Jewel down throwing jabs to the head and body. They exchange like this, with a back and forth of punches for the first three minutes.  
Then Jewel throws a hard front kick to Lexa’s solo plexus that connects hard and throws her into the fence. Jewel takes the opportunity to get her in a Mui Tai clench and she throws a couple of hard knees to Lexa’s stomach and sides. She follows the knees up with a massive elbow to her right eye that lands solid. It looks like Lexa may be in trouble. Jewel continues with the knees and elbows as Lexa tries to cover up. Finally, with about thirty seconds left in the round, Lexa regains her composure and is able to reverse the clinch so that Jewel is against the fence. She tucks her head under Jewel’s chin and unleashes a couple of hard shots to the body that land cleanly. Jewel lowers her hands to block Lexa’s knee and when she does, Lexa throws a right hook that lands to the side of her head and then follows through with an elbow as the bell rings. As they both head to their corners, you can see the swelling on both their faces.  
Lexa  
Well, that didn’t go as good as I hoped. I’m not sure what my problem is, when she got me against the cage, I lost my composure, and she had her way with me until I finally reversed it. I’m just not reacting fast enough. When I get to the corner, O says, “What the hell are you doing?”  
“I don’t know. It’s like I can see her punches and kicks in slow motion, but I’m thinking too much and didn’t react in time when she had me on the cage.”  
“Well, you need to get your shit together before she kicks your ass! Please tell me you aren’t doing this on purpose to get better odds.”  
“What? No, I told you I’m just thinking too much.”  
Clarke comes into my view and begins checking my eye, “Babe, you need to protect this eye. That elbow really did a number on it and another one and it is going to split wide open.”  
I can’t help but smile like a school kid because she called me babe. She smacks my shoulder. “Are you listening to me?”  
“All I heard was you call me babe!”  
“Would you stop and concentrate! Don’t let her keep hitting your eye.”  
Jose says, “When she throws that front kick, sidestep it and throw a spinning elbow and stay off the cage.” I nod as they clap indicating ten seconds left. I stand up and await the bell.  
When the bell rang, Jewel came charging out. I used a ginga and move out of the way of her charge. Once she realizes I am behind her she throws a spinning back kick. I duck low and deliver a Martelo do Chão kick which catches her on the side of the face knocking her backwards. She loses her balance and falls to the mat. I see this as an opportunity, so I approach and get her in a full mount before she recovers. I am able to land a few punches before she can pull me in and close the guard. I manage to land a clean hard elbow before she can buck me off.  
Once we are back standing, she throws a few body shots and then that damn front kick. When she does, I sidestep it and throw a spinning elbow that catches her in the temple that sends her into the cage. I follow it up with a flying knee to her chin, but she is able to grab me in her Mui Tai clinch and lands a few elbows and knees. I manage to flip her, so she is against the cage and land a few knees of my own. I look up at the clock and see there are still two minutes left in the round. She is trying to reverse me back against the cage, but I squat down and grab her just below her butt and pick her up. She starts to squirm, and I take two quick steps and slam her to the ground landing in a side mount. Her head hits the mat hard and for a second I think I have knocked her out but then she bucks hard and almost throws me off of her.  
I put my right forearm across her neck to disrupt her breathing and keep my body heavy on hers to keep her from throwing me off. As she tries to push me off, I use the arm on her neck to throw short elbows to her face and position my other arm under one of her legs to keep her from reversing me. Unfortunately, I don’t have control of her hands and she is able to land a few shots to the side of my head. I move my forearm back across her neck and deliver a couple of vicious knees to her side and then swing my hips and leg over to position myself in full mount.  
She quickly grabs me behind the neck and pulls me in so that I can’t throw any big punches, so I throw some short body shots to her side while laying on top of her. As I pull back to deliver another body shot with my left, she bucks hard enough to roll me off and pins my left arm with her knee. She gets me in a full mount with her right knee on my left forearm further pining it. She sits up and starts to reign down punches to my face. I can feel my eyebrow split open and blood starts to run down my face. I try to get my arm unpinned but can’t instead I only manage to move her knee from my forearm to my hand. Her knee is pushing down on the palm of my hand, so I try to cover up as best as possible while I look up at the clock.  
There are 45 seconds left to go in the round, I just need to hold on for the end of the round. Jewel pries my right hand away from my face and lands a massive elbow to the same spot under my eye and blood splatters everywhere. Great now I have blood flowing from above and below my left eye. She lands another one before I can cover up. I have to do something quick. I try to use my feet to push up to get her off balance put she is sitting on my hips. I try throwing my hips from side to side but this causes her to lay flat on top of me in order to keep control. I try again to free my arm but this time she grabs my wrist in a wrist lock and spins into side control, effectively pushing my wrist backwards with a tremendous amount of pressure. If she puts too much more, she will break my wrist. With 15 seconds left she threads her other arm between my body and elbow, placing her shoulder in my armpit and using it to push up on my shoulder while continuing to push my wrist farther up as well. I know she is trying to get me to tap but I won’t because there are only ten seconds left. I try to counter the pressure but to no avail and as I watch the seconds tick down slowly, she continues to apply more and more pressure. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out. 8…7…6…5…4 then I hear a loud pop and a tingling sensation in my fingertips. My wrist and hand erupts in pain just as the bell rings.  
Jewel hears it to and immediately let’s go and rolls off of me. She stands up and just looks down at me as I lay there for a few seconds before rolling over onto my stomach, where I lie face down for a few seconds. I begin trying to push myself up to a standing position. When Jewel sees me struggling, she leans over to help me up. Once I’m on my feet, I walk with my left wrist cradled to my body to where my team is waiting on me. Before I can take two steps, Charley is by my side. I look at her and smile, “I think my wrist or hand is broken something popped and I have a tingling in my fingers. Do you think something is dislocated or something?”  
She looks at me like I’m stupid and says, “Sit down!” She looks at my wrist and hand, then she starts pressing her fingers all around it and it hurts like hell, but I didn’t let on “Lexa, I’m calling the fight, you’re done!”  
“What? No, I don’t need it to win. I have my right hand and my feet. You can’t call it, Clarke. I promise, I’m fine. O, Jose tell her.”  
“Lexa, without a doubt something is broken but I can’t tell if it is your wrist or hand. Either way, it needs to be x-rayed.”  
“Please, Ya amar,” I say and give her my best puppy dog eyes. She looks from me to O, then to Jose. They both nod their heads affirmatively.  
She takes my hand in hers and starts to move my fingers around to see how bad it is, then looks at me, “I’m not going to lie this is going to hurt like hell and you aren’t going to be able to move it much and definitely won’t be able to punch with it…” Suddenly, she pulls my hand and my wrist pops loudly.  
“FUCK!” I scream. The ref walks over and asks Clarke if I can continue the fight and she just nods.  
He looks at the judges table and motioned for the doctor. He looks at me and says, “Our doctor has to look at you and confirm what yours says before you can continue.”  
Great, I think. I can’t give them my puppy dog eyes and get them to agree. I walk over to where the doctor is standing. It’s the same doctor that did my physical, she says, “How’s the hand?”  
“It’s fine, just a little sore but I’m good to go.” The doc takes my wrist and manipulates it then pokes around on my hand with her fingers. It hurts but I keep my face neutral.   
The doc smiles and says, “Okay, looks like Clarke did a good job putting your wrist back in place. Now I need to look at that eye. Can you see out of it?”  
“Yeah, it’s fine. Come on doc let me finish the fight.”  
“Okay, I’m going to let you continue but, I can stop it at any time if I need too, just remember that.”  
“Thanks, doc. How did you…” She just looks at me with a look. She then motions the ref and says, “She is good to go for the final round.”  
He nods and tells me to go back to my corner. As I walk over there, I hear my full name being called and know that it can only be Ash. I look over there and she is shaking her head no. I just smirk and continue to walk to my corner and await the bell for the final round. Clarke, O, and Jose are already on the outside of the cage, but Jose says, “Lexa you need to finish this quickly. You know she is going to come out aiming for your left side. Do what you can to protect it and when she throws that front kick use the spinning elbow and then use your kicks and jabs to get her back to the cage. She will try and use the front kick to get some distance when she does if you can block it with your left and then perform the Meia Lua de Compasso. She won’t be able to block it because she is against the cage and it should knock her out.  
I nod just as the bell rings. I go out with my hands up like normal even though my hand and wrist is throbbing. Sure enough, she throws a high kick to my left shoulder and the pain radiates down to my hand and takes my breath away. I go down on one knee and she lands a massive right hook to my temple knocking me on my back. I hear the crowd take collective gasp. Luckily, Jewel hesitates for a second giving me time to get to my feet. I throw a hard inside leg kick to her lead leg that almost takes her off her feet. I use the momentum from the leg kick to spin around with a roundhouse high kick to her head that throws her into the cage.  
When I go to close the distance instead of throwing the front kick like I am expecting, she jumps and throw a flying knee that misses my chin but hits my left shoulder instead and the vibration of the hit has me seeing spots and know that I’m about to pass out. I take a few deep breaths as I go down on one knee from the pain but I’m able to use a leg sweep and take her down before she can follow it up. I get up first and catch her with a knee to the forehead as she stands up opening a gash. This sends her back into the cage and she throws a right hook to my body that I instinctively block and regret it immediately as a jolt of pain goes to my wrist and is followed by a left hook to the face. I shake it off and throw a right jab to back her up and then a front kick of my own that lands heavy in her solo plexus knocking the wind out of her enough so that I can close the distance and catch her with another knee to the head as she is going down from the front kick.  
She tries to grab my leg and take me down, but I quickly step out of it and I back up so that she can get up. I have no desire to get back on the ground with her. She gets up and throws a couple of lazy jabs that I dodge easily. Then she throws the front kick and I drop low and preform a Rasteira de Costa, which is a spinning back sweep kick that moves in a half circle with the sweeping leg aimed more for the ankle of the supporting leg. This once again takes her to the mat and I think about going after her while she is down but I hear O scream no, so I back away and let her back up.  
I glance at the clock and see that there are still three minutes left in the round. I’m not sure that I can last that long though, the pain is making me see spots. She gets up and comes at me fast with a combination of punches that I block and counter with a straight elbow to her face backing her up. She advances at me quickly again and I place my right hand down in a handstand, followed by a twist with the hips and a split, performing a downward kick. I miss her temple with the instep of my foot instead hitting her with my knee knocking her out instantly.   
I stand back as the ref waves his hands signaling the fight is over. I raise my good hand, then run and jump straddling the top of the cage. The pain forgotten, I point at Ash and Asher stand up on the top of the cage and do a backflip off the top landing on my feet back in the cage where lips crash into mine as arms wrap around my neck. I know without a doubt they are Clarke’s because of the electricity I feel as soon as they touch mine. The kiss was quick but full of passion. I reach down and grab her around the waist and pick her up. When I lift her up, she pulls back, and starts examining my face. I just smile then put her down and say, “That can wait till later.” I’m suddenly lifted from behind by O and Jose. Looking down I say, “Put me down, I need to get Asher.”  
As soon as my feet hit the ground, I run jump the cage and I’m into the front row lifting Asher into a hug and then placing him on my shoulders. He is giggling uncontrollably as Ash brings me in for a hug followed by Callie kissing my cheek. The rest of the group started chanting Stryker and soon the entire arena was chanting my name. I was ushered back into the cage where O took Asher from my shoulders and placed him on the ground. He was so cute. He started raising his arms and jumping up and down and all I could think is I can’t wait to have one of my own with Clarke! Then I think where the hell did that come from. There is just so much running through my head right now.  
By this time, Jewel was up and, on her feet, talking to the doctor. I walked over to her and bowed before asking, “Are you alright?”  
She smiled and said, “Well, my pride is hurt a little but that was a great fight. How is your hand?”  
“Hurts like hell but I’ll live.” I give her a quick hug and then we move to the center of the cage for the final announcement.  
We stand in the middle of the cage with Asher holding my left hand gingerly and the ref my right wrist. The announcer says, “The winner by TKO…. Lexa Stryker Trikru.” The ref raises my hand, and the arena goes insane. I shake Jewel’s hand and turn to look for Clarke but I’m met by a camera and a microphone being shoved into my face.  
Dana is the one with the microphone and he asks, “Stryker great fight! What is going through your head right now?”  
“Too many things to think about, Dana. I guess the main thing is, I’m wondering where my beautiful girlfriend is right now. If it weren’t for her and the rest of my team, I could have never won this fight.”  
Dana looks around and spots Cree in the crowd and motions for her to come up, but she shakes her head no. He looks at me and says, “I guess she doesn’t want to come up. Oh well can you walk us through the knockout and explain the move you used.”  
“Sure, but first I need to clear something up. Clarke, where are you?” She looks at the ground turning red before walking into my outstretched arms. I whisper in her ear, “We are still doing this, right? You and me?” She looks me in the eyes and nods yes. I kiss her temple and then look back to Dana, “Dana, I’m not sure how it happened that everyone thinks that Cree Cicchino and I are dating. That could not be further from the truth. Cree and I are just friends. The only person that holds my heart is this one right here, Clarke Griffin.” I look deeply into her beautiful green eyes and bring my hand up and run my thumb along her jaw. Clarke cups the back of my head as she leans in and brings her lips to mine. My heart races but at the same time there is a calmness that surrounds me telling me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. An incredible feeling of contentment filled me as a fire begins to build in my soul. I feel Clarke sink into the kiss and slightly part her lips asking for more as my hands, now on Clarke’s hips, pulled her closer. I oblige and slip my tongue inside and melt against her. The world fell away as I think I never want to kiss another person. I hear someone clearing their throat and I pull back, both of us breathing hard.  
Dana looks at me surprised. I laugh and say, “Now let’s take a look at that replay. As you can see Jewel begins to press forward with punches, but I catch her with an elbow to the forehead when she advances knocking her back a few steps. She then advances again, and I use a capoeira move taught to me by Jose over there, called the Aú Batido. It is like a one-handed cartwheel with a twist of the hips which is supposed to bring the instep of my foot to her temple but in this case, she was to close, and I hit her with my knee instead.”  
He says, “Well, it seems to have had a good outcome. I just want to say congratulations and thanks for taking this fight at the last minute and I know I hope to see you fight with us again. I’m sure Jewel will want a rematch in the future.” The crowd erupts into chants of Stryker. Dana says, “I’ll give you a few minutes in the locker room before sending in the doctor. How does it feel to beat the number four featherweight?”  
I laugh, “I’m not sure, except that I love to win.”


	46. Lexa/Clarke

As we exit the cage, I quickly become aware of the pain in my hand now that the adrenaline is beginning to wear off. It must show on my face because Clarke puts her hand in the small of my back and leads me to the locker room. Once in the dressing room, she sits me on the exam table and starts to examine my face as O places ice packs on my hand and the back of my neck.   
Clarke is just staring at my face and looks like she is about to cry. I reach up with my right hand and place it on the side of her face. I wipe a tear from her cheek and say, “Ya amar, I promise I’m fine. Trust me I have been in worse shape before. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen me cut up before. Just clean and stitch me up and then we can go watch the rest of the fights with everyone.”  
She shakes her head, “Now I know why the hospitals won’t let you treat family members. Babe, I can’t…I mean last time was different. I just I just can’t. I’m sorry.” Then she starts to cry.  
“Hey, don’t cry. I’m fine. It’s okay. Dana said he would send the doc in. I can wait on her. Come here.” I open my arms and she steps between my legs and into my arms. She immediately puts her head on my shoulder, and I can hear her crying. O and Jose slip out the door leaving us alone. I pull back and say, “Hey, can you do me a favor and grab my bag for me?” She just nods and walks over to my bag and brings it over. I stick my hand in the outside pocket and pull out the box from the jewelry store.  
I take her hand and pull her back between my legs. I look at her and say, “I’m sorry that I have upset you, it is never my intention to do that, ever. I’m not sure what I have done to deserve you but I’m glad that I found you. I want you to have this. It isn’t much but I wanted to give you something to show you…to thank you for giving me a chance. I’m going to try my best not to screw it up.”  
She looks at me surprised and reluctantly takes the box and opens it. When she pulls it out, I say, “It’s like I said out there, you are the only person who holds my heart and I want you to be able to look at this on your wrist and remember that whenever you have doubts.” I take the bracelet out of the box and put it on her wrist.  
She looks at the charms and then up at me, “Lex, you didn’t have to get me anything. It is so beautiful, just like you. Thank you!” She leans in and just as her lips touch mine there is a knock on the door.  
Clarke  
When we get to the locker room and I get a good look at Lexa’s face, I can’t do anything but stand there and stare. Her beautiful, handsome face is all cut up and swollen and I can’t take it. I start to cry. I can’t even…Then she gives me a beautiful bracelet and I cry even more. I don’t know what she does to me that makes me such an emotional wreak. There is a knock on the door just as a I touch my lips to hers.  
When I open it and there stands Dr. Hines. She looks at me and smiles, “Hello Clarke, how is your girl?”  
“I can’t…I can’t make myself…I mean she says she is fine but well, I’ll just let you decide. Can you please fix her up for me? I just can’t bring myself…”  
She pats me on the shoulder as she walks by and says, “I understand. I will take good care of her. I’m glad to see that you two figured out your feelings for one another.”  
This makes me laugh and shake my head. Dr. Hines walks up to Lexa and says, “That was quite the fight, Lexa. How are you feeling?”  
She smiles and says, “I’m good doc. My hand is a little sore and I could use some stitches other than that I’m doing awesome. Well, except that Clarke is upset.”  
Dr. Hines removes the icepack from her hand and starts to examine it and then moves on to her face. She performs the concussion test, checks for broken ribs, etc. before she cleans up the cuts and stitches her up. She turns to me and says, “Clarke she looks to be fine for the most part. You did a good job relocating her wrist, but I would still feel better if she were to get an x-ray of her hand and wrist to see if anything is broken. I’m going to give her a shot for the pain and once she has showered and gotten dressed, I would like for you to come down the hall to room 222 for an x-ray. Once I give her the shot, she is all yours.”  
“Thanks, Dr. Hines.”  
Lexa says, “Doc I don’t want anything for the pain, I’m good right now. Can you just give me some Tylenol or something instead?”  
“You may feel fine right now but once you start to move around and shower, trust me you are going to need it. Plus, I’m assuming that you are going to go watch the rest of the fights and then go out and celebrate, so trust me when I say you will thank me later.”  
I look at Lexa and say, “Please, babe, let her give you something. We have a long night ahead of us and you still have to help Ash with that thing later remember?”  
“Fine, but just so you know I can get a little goofy when I’m on pain meds. You think I say what’s on my mind now. Just wait until you see me on the medication.”  
I look at Dr. Hines and she says, “It can have that effect on some people, but it should wear off by the end of the fight. It only lasts a couple of hours and then she will need to continue to apply ice and take the pain pills.”  
“Ok, thanks. I will make sure she gets an x-ray right after she showers.”  
Dr. Hines administers Lexa a shot of morphine and then leaves. I look at her and say, “Alright let’s get you showered and changed. I’m sure everyone is worried about you and we still need to get that hand x-rayed.”  
She smirks and says, “You do realize that you are going to have to help me get undressed, right?”  
I can feel my cheeks start to burn as she continues to stare and smirk at me. I finally find my voice and say, “Fine, but…there’s not going to be any funny business. Understand?”  
“Yes ma’am, no funny business. Although I may need help washing my hair also.”  
“Fine, let’s get this over with.” Great, the first time I get to see her naked and I am going to have to try and control myself. Come on Clarke, you can do this as long as she doesn’t kiss or touch you. You are just helping her because she is injured.


	47. Lexa

After the doc comes in a fixes me up, Clarke helps me with getting a shower. Luckily, the morphine hasn’t kicked in quite yet and I can control myself enough to just let her help me and not make her uncomfortable. Then she helps me change into one of the suits we bought on our shopping trip, but she surprises me with a mint green tight fitting V-neck shirt to go under it. Once I’m dressed, she has me sit down while she goes and changes.  
As I sit there waiting, I can feel the medicine start to kick in because I get lightheaded. When she comes out of the bathroom, she is wearing a dress that is the same color as my shirt and hugs her body like a glove. The dress stops just above her knees showing off her legs, which I am just noticing are very toned. I stand there taking in her beauty for a second before I stand and walk towards her. When I am standing close enough to look her in her bright green eyes I say, “Ya amar, you look you look amazing.” I lean in and press my lips to her cheek, then hold out my good arm and say, “Shall we, princess.”   
She takes my arm and we walk down the hallway to find room 222. When we enter the room Dr. Hines is waiting for us. Clarke helps me take off my suit jacket and kisses me on the cheek before she says, “I’m going to stand right outside the door while the doctor takes the x-ray.”  
Doc Hines says, “Clarke you can stay behind the screen with me.”  
About twenty minutes later, we walk out of room with my hand in a cast and instructions to see an orthopedic doctor soon. We exit the room and start down the tunnel and out to join our friends, but halfway down the tunnel awaits a bunch of cameras that start flashing as we approach. By now the drugs have kicked in and I am feeling great so, I decide to have a little fun and start posing for the cameras. Clarke is a little apprehensive at first but when she sees me acting goofy, she begins to laugh and joins me in the fun. After about five minutes of pictures, a broadcaster comes over and asks a few questions about my shoulder. When we start to walk away, he says, “Hey Stryker! One more question, what’s next?”  
I laugh and say, “I’m not really sure yet.” I look at Clarke smiling at me with love in her eyes, like I’m the only person here. I glance at the guy and then say, “What I do know is that I’m going to marry this girl right here one day.” Then I turn and take her hand and walk away.  
We take about two steps before she stops dead in her tracks and says, “What-What did you just say? I don’t think I heard you over the crowd or something.”  
I lean in and kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear so that I’m sure she hears me. “I said, I’m going to marry you one day.”  
When we finally make it to our seats, I collapse into mine. Everyone is congratulating me and asking me if I’m okay. Once the questions are answered, I ask one of my own. “Can I get some food? I’m starving.” Of course, everyone laughs at me.   
As soon as I get settled into my seat, Asher comes and stands in front of me and asks, “Xa, can I sit in your lap? I will be real still, so I don’t hurt you.”  
I look down at him and smile, “Sure, buddy climb on up.” I then look over at Ash and say, “You know, I hadn’t ever really thought about having kids. I guess because of my childhood but being around him…I get why you want to have more. When the ref raised my hand and declared me a winner and he was with me looking up at me like I was the greatest person in the world…all I could think was I can’t wait to have my own with Clarke.”   
Clarke and Callie both snapped their heads toward me and said, “What?”  
Ash laughs and looks at Clarke, “Did the doctor give her morphine?”  
Clarke replies, “Yes, why?”  
“That explains why she is talking so much and saying anything that comes to her mind. The only other time I’ve seen her like this was when we were in DC and she was on morphine, but don’t worry when it wears off, she remembers everything.”  
“Um…I’m not sure I know what to say. Does she mean what she says while under the influence of it?”  
“I…well, she is the most honest person I know…so, yeah. She means it, she probably just wouldn’t have said most of it until she was ready. It seems that morphine acts like a truth serum to her and removes any filter she might have on her thoughts.”  
Callie speaks up, “So, you have been talking to her about having more kids?”  
Ash turns red, “Well, it may have come up in conversation. Why? Do you not want more?”  
Now it’s Callie’s turn to turn red, “I didn’t say that. I just…well, it was hard doing it by myself and I have thought about what it would be like having you to help but I just didn’t know if you would want to.”  
“Well, I can’t say that I want to be the one to have it, but yeah. I missed out on so much with Asher not being here…I think this is something we should talk about later though the fight is about to start. Clarke, the morphine should wear off shortly, but until then we shouldn’t let her wonder around by herself.”  
Around ten o’clock, we are landing on the Untouchable with the new strawweight champion aboard. By now the morphine has worn off and I’m still trying to figure out how to bring up what I said with Clarke but right now it’s time to celebrate. Hopefully, everything is set up. When we get off the chopper, Amelia is there to greet us so that’s at least one thing that is right.  
I send a text to Patrona to find out the status on everything else and she says everything is a go. She informs me that everyone is on the party deck where they watched the fight. We all made our way to where the party had already started. The bartenders were busy mixing drinks and there was an amazing buffet of food set up that I wanted nothing more than to dig into but…I had another pressing matter right now.  
I walked over to where the stage was set up but empty and grabbed the mic. “Hey everyone, I hope you are all enjoying yourself. I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight and cheering me on. I won’t take up too much of your time with my boring speech because I have a huge surprise for you all. First though, I do need to say a few things. I want to congratulate Tecia the Tiny Tornado and new strawweight champion on her victory tonight. Everyone give her a big round of applause.” She raises her hand, and everyone claps.  
I continue, “Next, I would like to say thank you to my good friend Cree for surprising me tonight and of course, Ash if it weren’t for you, I would still be fighting in the desert somewhere or dead. Can you please join me up here for a few minutes?” She just nods and kisses Callie on the cheek before walking up to join me.  
“I know that our relationship has been…well, somewhat complicated but if it weren’t for you, I don’t know where I would be right now, and I will forever be grateful that you came into my life. Everyone here should know our story by now so I’m not going to repeat it again other than to say that even though we were not meant to be together, you were meant to be in my life. I think we have both finally figured out where we are both supposed to be, and I am grateful that you have found your way back to Callie and Asher because that is truly where you should be. Anyway, Callie can you come up here also?” She turns red and shakes her head no. “If you don’t, we will just come to you.” She sighs and walks up the steps.  
“Alright, I promised everyone a surprise, so here it is. I would like to welcome Florida Georgia Line to the stage and thank them for doing me the honor of being here.” Everyone starts to scream and clap as the band walks out onto the stage behind us. “Now before I let them do their thing, there is one more thing that I need to do. As you all know, Ash is not the most romantic person…” Everyone chuckles and she cuts her eyes at me, but I continue. “But she came to the right person to help her with that issue…me. She wants to do something special for Callie and I suggested she sing her a romantic song…” Now everyone including Callie start booing and shaking their head no. “Judging from your reaction, I guess what she told me about her singing is true. So, I decided to help her out, but first I just want to say once again, that I am extremely happy for the two of you. Callie, I know we had a rocky start, but I really do think that you are the best person for Ash, and I hope that you know I will always be here for your family.”  
She says, “I know you will, and I am sorry for the way things happened but look at us now!”  
“I agree. Ash, I will always love you and have your six, but I realize now that I was never actually IN love with you the way I thought. It wasn’t until I met an incredibly special person, to be named later, that I realized that. Now without further ado, this song is dedicated to Callie from Ashley. Guys hit it!”  
I look over at Ash who holds her hand out to Callie as the music starts to play. I then look down at Clarke and wink before I start to sing. I walk closer to where Ash and Callie have started dancing and started to sing…Tell me that you love me/Say "we'll always work it out"/I know it's kinda scary/But it's only temporary doubt/I've done a lot of stupid things/But promise that you're gonna stay long enough to grow old with me/We're gonna see the good times love each other through the bad/It's gonna hurt like hell when we lose our moms and dads/So let my shoulder hold your tears/Walk beside me through the years/Baby let's see, where this love could lead/Let's hold hands on your favorite beach/Fix up a house that we found in the city limits/Tangled up in a satin sheet/And get a little loud when we've had too much to drink/And learn to love from a church pew/Laugh about all the times we counted pennies/Buy some land with a good view/To start a family/Baby grow old with me/It's gonna take a little time we'll have to work at it every day/We're gonna lose a lot of sleep and learn to eat out of a microwave/You know we'll probably never have it all/But that's part of building up the walls strong enough to stand up through the rain/We'll make some love on your favorite beach/And at the house that we found in the city limits/Talk our babies through the bad dreams/When they get a little older we'll tell them not to drink/Book a church when she finds a groom/Laugh about all the times they'll count the pennies/Give them land with a good view/To start a family/And baby you know we might take a turn down a backroad, maybe go where the wind blows baby,/But end up right where we were meant to be/Back and forth on a porch swing/Hard not to smile thinking how it don't get much better/Our babies, babies turning 18/What a family/Baby grow old with me/Baby grow old with me/Baby grow old with me/Tell me that you love me/Say "we'll always work it out" When I finish, I hand the mic to Ash.  
She begins, “Callie, I know we have been through some tuff times and I realize now that it probably looked and felt like I was always running away from you and most times I think I was. I know I ran and never thought to look back when you didn’t show up at the airport and that is one of the two biggest regrets I have in my life. I should’ve found you and talked to you, tried to work it out…something, anything. I should have come for you, but that is in the past and I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you if you will let me. From now on, I want to run to you not away from you.” I hand her the bouquet of flowers with the ring box in it and she goes down on one knee and says, “What I’m trying to say is I want to always work it out and baby I want to grow old with you. Callie, will you marry me?”  
When I look at Ash, she has tears running down her cheeks and Callie is also crying and just staring at the flowers and ring. I’m beginning to get nervous for Ash because she hasn’t answered when Ash takes the ring out of the box and gets up. She says, “I know it has taken me a long time to figure it out, but you are the only one for me and…” Callie cuts her off by crashing her lips to Ash’s and then jumps into her arms. When they separate Ash slips the ring on her finger and everyone begins to cheer.  
Callie walks over to me and delivers a crushing hug and kisses me on the cheek. When she lets go, I wince, and she immediately starts to apologize. Ash comes over and thanks me as well and hands me the mic back. “Okay everyone just one more piece of housekeeping before I let you enjoy the show. Clarke would you please join me up here?”  
She looks surprised and scared like she is about to run. “Ya amar, please.” I say, “I promise it is not a marriage proposal.” Everyone laughs and she starts walking up. When she gets to me, I take her hand and kiss it. “I’m sure you all saw the fight and me introduce Clarke as my girlfriend but well with everything going on, I just wanted to say a few things. Clarke, two incredibly wise women once told me if it was meant to be then it would be. At the time, I had no idea what the hell they were talking about but the moment I met you…well I realized what they meant. Then when I kissed you the first time, I knew for sure that I was meant to be with you not Ash.” I look at Ash and say, “Sorry Ash.” She laughs and says, “No worries!”  
“Anyway, I want to dedicate this next song to you. Guys, take it away.” The music to Meant to Be starts to play and I hold out my hand and ask Clarke to dance just as Bebe Rexha comes on stage. Everyone starts cheering and I look around to see why and I’m surprised to see her. I had no idea that she was going to be here.  
Bebe Rexha says, “The guys told me about this little party they were playing on a yacht where they were going to help someone propose and I couldn’t help but to be curious. When they told me the story of Ash, Callie, and Lexa…well I just felt like this song was written for them, so I decided to tag along to sing it with the guys. But now that I have heard Lexa’s voice, I think that she should sing lead and I will back her up. What do you say?”  
I look at Clarke and then Bebe and back to Clarke who has turned bright red. I say, “I don’t know, last time I sang to her she thought it was just because I was drunk and that it didn’t really mean anything…so…”  
Bebe looks at Clarke, “Is that right?”  
She starts to stutter, “W-well, she had said earlier that she wasn’t drunk enough to sing and then she drank a lot so…I-I guess I just thought that she didn’t…whatever! I know her well enough now to realize that she never does anything unless she means it so…”  
Bebe looks at me and says, “So, Lexa do you want to sing it to her or what?”  
I smile and say, “Hell yeah, I want to sing to my girl. Let’s do this!” I take Charley in my arms, holding her with one around the waist and the mic in the other and start to sing and dance with her. Once I start to sing, it’s like the rest of the world just melts away and it’s just us, staring into one another’s eyes and swaying to the music. “Baby, lay on back and relax/Kick your pretty feet up on my dash/No need to go/nowhere fast/Let's enjoy right here where we at/Who knows where this road is supposed to lead?/We got nothing but time/As long as you're right here next to me/Everything's gonna be alright” I pause here and look deep into Charley’s eyes, “I meant everything I have ever said to you. I need you to know that. I will go a slow as you need me to as long as you are with me everything is going to be alright. Your mom and Amelia both told me if it’s meant to be, it’ll be and now that I have found you. I know what they meant.” I continue to sing, “If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, just let it be/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, just let it be/So, won't you ride with me, ride with me?/See where this thing goes/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, if it's meant to be.” I pause again and say, “Charley, I want to see where this thing between us goes. I know in my heart and my gut that WE are meant to be.”  
“Bebe back me up on this verse with a few changes?” I say and I pull Charley closer as Bebe begins to sing the verse with me. My version goes, “I know you don't mean to be so uptight/That your heart's been hurt by Finn/That he didn't treat you right/I ain't gonna lie, ain't gonna lie/'Cause I'm tired of the fake love/Show me what you're made of/Girl, I’m gonna make you believe.” I say, “I’m not like Finn, I will treat you right. I’m going to show you what I’m made of and make you believe that I love you!”  
She stops dancing and looks at me. I just keep singing, “Woah, hold up, girl, don't you know you're beautiful?/And it's easy to see/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, just let it be/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, just let it be/So, won't you ride with me, ride with me?/See where this thing goes/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, if it's meant to be/So, c'mon ride with me, ride with me/See where this thing goes/So, c'mon ride with me, ride with me/Baby, if it's meant to be/Maybe we do/Maybe we don't/Maybe we will/Maybe we won't/But if it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, just let it be (Sing it, baby)/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be (C'mon)/Baby, just let it be (Let's go)/So, won't you ride with me, ride with me?/See where this thing goes (Come for a ride)/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, if it's meant to be (Yeah)/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, if it's meant to be/If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be/Baby, if it's meant to be”  
When the song is through, I look at her and say, “So…are you sure you want to see where this thing goes? I know I do and I’m all in with you setting the pace.”  
She doesn’t answer me with words but with a kiss. It was a slow, sensual, tender kiss…it was like a promise of everything to come. After a few seconds we pulled back and were both breathing hard. I just smiled and said, “Okay, that’s all for me. Guys and girl, you have the stage. Everyone enjoy the music, drinks and food, that includes the band.”  
Bebe Rehxa looks at me and says, “You have an amazing voice and sing my song almost better than I do. If for some reason this doesn’t work out between you two, give me a call.”   
I feel Clarke tense up beside me and grab my hand. I can’t help but smile and then say, “Thanks, but she is the only one for me.”  
Clarke and I walk off the stage and into the crowd. My hand is beginning to ache, and I need a drink. As we walk toward the bar, Amelia steps in front of me with a smile. “Lexa that was amazing! I can’t believe you helped Ashley propose to Callie after everything that has happened.”  
I give her a hug and whisper, “It’s no problem besides, I think I’ve found my forever person even if she hasn’t realized it yet.” I pull back and kiss Clarke on the cheek and Amelia just smirks at me.  
As we continue to the bar Clarke asks, “What was all the whispering about?”  
“Oh, it was nothing. I was just telling Amelia how happy I am that I found you.”  
She blushes and we order our drinks and then I hit the buffet. The rest of the night is spent celebrating with my friends. Clarke and I drink and dance the night away. Around two, I decide to call it a night. I find the band and invite them to stay the night if they would like if not someone will take them ashore and drive them to a hotel. Then I find Tecia and tell her to take advantage of the steam room and cryotherapy. I figure everyone else knows the drill and if they don’t either O, Jose, or Reed will take care of it for me.  
Once downstairs, I grab Clarke in a hug and then pull her into a kiss. Our tongues met and her arms reached around me and crushed our chest together. She tastes of hope and lust and promise. Our tongues explore and taste and neither of was shy in this moment. Finally, she pulled back so we could both take a breath.  
Our eyes were laser focused on one another. Where I used to see nervousness in her eyes there was nothing but clarity now. She says, “I am more than your friend and have been all along, even if I didn’t know it. I knew I was in trouble the first time we met but I kept fighting it. I know you feel it too. But I realize now that I want more than one night. You are all I want, you are what I need, you are who I have to have. This is all new to me and it scares me to death but…well, I want to be your forever.”  
I can’t help but smile, “You don’t know how happy that makes me! I knew from the moment I saw you the first night in the Dragon’s Den that I was in trouble, also. One thing I have realized in the past few months is that I don’t enjoy the one-nighters. I want something more and I want it with you. It has been you since I first met you! I just need you to know that I’m not in this halfway, I want that forever relationship and I’m glad that you do too. So…forever begins tonight?”  
She looks at me with a huge smile and says, “Yes, I believe it does.” Then she crushed her lips to mine and moaned. We couldn’t get close enough. Our arms are wrapped around one another so tightly there was no space between us, and the kiss grew more urgent until I tried to move my bad hand and winced. She pulled back quickly and looked me in the eyes, “Are you in much pain?”  
“It’s not too bad, especially when your lips are on mine.” I say with a smile. “So…can we just continue to kiss?”  
She smirks, “As much as I would love to, I think we should get some rest. You need to take it easy with your and we need to get find you a orthopedic to see. Besides, didn’t we just say that we have forever to figure things out.”  
I stick my lip out in a pout, “But…I need you now and you never know how long forever is going to be. It could end tomorrow! Besides, I can wait until Abby gets home for my hand. It will be fine.”  
“What? Are you saying that your vision of forever is not actually forever?”  
“Wh-What? No, I just mean…given what I have seen in my short life tomorrow is never a guarantee and I tend to live every day like it may be my last. I in no way mean that my forever is…”  
She interrupts me with a quick kiss, “Sorry, I forget that you have had a difficult life. I understand what you mean now, but we have time. I promise and I want all of you not broken you.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me and says, “If you know what I mean.”  
I laugh, “Good thing I heal quicker than most because I don’t know how much longer I can keep my hands off of you. Now that I know where I stand, can you help me change out of these clothes?”


	48. Lexa/Clarke

My hand wakes me earlier than I would’ve liked the next morning, but when I look over and see Clarke sleeping beside me, the pain seems to lessen. I reach over and place a kiss on her forehead before getting up to use the bathroom and take some Advil for the pain. She mumbles something incoherently that makes me smile even though I haven’t a clue what she said. Before I can climb back into bed my phone beeps indicating a text message. When I look at the screen, I realize that one it is only seven fifteen in the morning and two it is a message from Ash. I think to myself, what does she want at this ungodly hour of the morning before I click on the text.  
Ash: Hey sorry it is so early but I have a favor to ask.  
Me: Why are you up so early? Did you not celebrate last night? What is it? LOL  
Ash: SMH, of course we did but we also spent a lot of time talking and we would like to get married before I leave in the morning. Do you think you, Charley and Dom can throw something together for after the cookout? Doesn’t have to be fancy.  
Me: Um…I don’t know anything about weddings but I’m sure with Patrona’s help we can put something together. What time?  
Ash: Well, the cookout is from 5-8 so how about around 9ish. We will take care of our clothes and the rings. Thanks, you are the best. I’ll talk to mom and let her know.  
I mumble as I climb back into bed, “That will have to wait. I need sleep.” Then I think better of it and send Patrona a quick text about planning a wedding when I get up. When I get back to bed, Charley scoots into my arms and mumbles, “Where did you go and why are you up so early?”  
“Well, I had to pee and takes some medicine. Oh, and apparently, we have to plan a wedding for tonight when we get up. Don’t worry though, I need more sleep first, so we don’t have to get up quit yet. Go back to sleep, I promise to be here when you wake up.”  
She mumbles and her eyes immediately shut. I smile and kiss her temple before relaxing into her warmth and falling back asleep myself. When we do finally make it out of the bed, it is around noon. I go up to find Patrona who assures me that ‘I don’t need to do a thing. I have everything under control.’ Good, because I don’t have a clue. We eat brunch and then decide to go by Amelia’s and see if we could help her set up anything. Even though the cookout didn’t actually start until five there were already a good number of people there. It wasn’t long before Asher came running in the door soak and wet from being in the pool. “Hey, Xa, Clarke! Want to play in the pool with me and my friends?”  
I smile at him, “Hey buddy, I think I’m gonna pass today. I’m not supposed to get my cast wet but I’ll come out there in a little bit and watch you though. Are your mommies here?”  
“No, I stayed with Grandma last night. They should be here soon. See you later.” And with that he was off to join his friends.   
We found Amelia in the catering kitchen giving directions on where to put everything. She smiled when she saw us and said, “Hey, I didn’t think you two would be up yet after the party you put on last night. How is your hand?”  
“It’s not bad. Is there anything that we can help you with? Have you talked to Ash this morning?”  
“No, why? I think I have everything under control. Hey, I want to thank you again for what you did for Ashley and Callie last night, I know that had to of been hard for you.”  
“It’s no problem. I’m glad that they are happy and don’t worry about me, I’m happy now that I have this one.” I lean in and give Clarke a kiss and she turns red. “I know that I thought Ash and I were meant to be together but one kiss from Clarke and I knew she was different. Before you say anything, I know that’s what I said about Ash but even though I loved every minute I was with Ash, I never felt the electricity or sparks that I feel every time I touch Clarke. Ash and I will always have a close relationship but I’m glad she was able to forgive Callie.”  
Amelia says, “I’m glad you and Ashley found each other and were able to be there when you needed one another and now you are a part of our family and that will never change. Now since you are already here, I have a surprise for you. Follow me.”  
We followed Amelia upstairs to the balcony overlooking the pool, I couldn’t believe who was sitting there on the deck. It was Abby and Blake! Clarke runs to her mom and Blake comes over and gives me a hug. He says, “Saw you fight last night…I can’t believe you are a UFC fighter now.”  
“If I had known you were in town, I would have taken you with me.”  
“We just got in this morning.”  
“Oh, have you seen O yet? I bet she will freak when she sees you.”  
“No, I was going to hang here and surprise her at the cookout.”  
“What? No way come on. I’ll take you to her. See that yacht out there in the bay?”  
“Yeah, I’ve been admiring it all morning. Whose is it?”  
“Mine and O is living on it with me so let’s go surprise here and I will explain on the way.”  
I smile and wave at Abby who is talking with Clarke. She motions me over and says, “Are you not going to say hello to me?”  
“Um…I was letting you get caught up with your daughter and didn’t want to interrupt.” I lean in and give her a hug and kiss on the cheek.  
She says, “Now that’s more like it. How is your hand?”  
Clarke answers for me and I just laugh, “She had a dislocated wrist, but I put it back into place and she has at least one fracture. She is supposed to go see an ortho to see if she needs surgery but she doesn’t seem to worried about it. In fact, this morning she said she was going to wait until you got back.” She looked at me and said, “Did you know mom was going to be here? Is that why you said you would wait?”  
I look over to Charley and say, “What? No, I had no idea. I said that because I thought it would give me time to put it off and it would heal on its own. Um…I’m going to take Blake over to the yacht and surprise Octavia and give him a tour. Do you and Abby want to join us?”  
Clarke looks at Abby and says, “Would you like to see the yacht, mom?”  
Abby says, “Sure, but whose is it?”  
I start to answer but she beats me to it, “Well, mom, remember that caring, handsome, amazing person I called you about?”  
Abby replies, “You mean the girl you were crushing on hard after you found out that Finn was cheating?”  
Clarke turns red, “I don’t know if I would call it that but yeah, that’s the one. Well, it just so happens that she rescued me from Finn when he showed up at the house and…I’ve kinda been staying with her on her yacht.”  
Blake jumps in, “Wait, Lexa, I thought you said that the yacht was yours?”  
“Yeah, it is!” I say smiling at his confusion.  
He looks between the three of us as we smile and he says, “Wait…you two are like together, together? What about Fletch?”  
We start to laugh, and I say come on and we will explain on the ride over. I go find Amelia to let her know we will be back after we give them a tour of the Untouchable. When I find her, she is just getting off the phone. “Really? You weren’t going to tell me about the wedding?”  
“Um…it wasn’t my place. Ash said she was going to talk to you. Are you mad?”  
“What? No, but I would like to help.”  
“O-Okay, I will give you Patrona’s number. She told me she had it under control but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind help from the mother of the bride.” I say with a smile.  
On the short ride to the Untouchable, Clarke and I give them a noticeably short version of everything that has happened recently including the fact that there will be a wedding later tonight. I tell Clarke to take Abby to our room while Blake and I surprise O and then we will give them a tour. Blake looks at me and smiles. I say, “What?”  
He laughs and replies, “You said take Abby to ‘our’ room.”  
I feel my cheeks heat up and start to stutter, “Y-yeah…w-well, she has stayed here the last couple of nights since the incident with Finn. I didn’t want her to be alone at her house in case he decided to try something else.” When I look at Abby she is smiling. I continue to stutter, “I-I promise nothing has happened. I-I mean…other than kissing.”  
Clarke stops me with a quick kiss, “Babe, it’s okay you don’t need to explain. Right mom?”  
Abby laughs, “I don’t know, I think it is cute how she is stuttering.”  
I throw my hands up in the air and say, “Whatever! Come on Blake let’s go wake up sleeping beauty.”  
When we get to O’s room, I knock on the door, but no one answers. I knock harder and hear movement and look at Blake who is laughing. O yells, “Go away!”  
“No, it is three in the afternoon and we have a wedding to plan and I need your help. Tell whoever you have in there with you to come back tonight for the wedding.”  
I hear chattering and then the door opens and to my surprise, why I’m not sure, Cree answers the door. She says, “Did you say wedding?”  
Blake looks at me and I just shrug, “Yeah, Callie and Ash have decided to get hitched tonight before Ash has to leave in the morning on an assignment for the CIA.”  
I hear more chatter in the background and then Bebe Rexha’s head peaks over Cree’s shoulder and says, “Wow, they don’t waste anytime huh?”  
Okay now I’m a little surprised and yell, “Octavia get your ass out here now. There is someone who wants to see you!”  
She says, “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a little busy.”  
“Yeah, I can see that.” Blake says, “But I thought I might get a little warmer welcome from my baby sis. Then again…”  
O comes running through the door in nothing but a long t-shirt and jumps into Blake’s arms. He says, “Now that is what I’m talking about. Now why don’t you introduce me to your friends?” He says with eyebrows raised.  
O turns bright red and I die laughing, “Um…Bellamy…this is Cree Cinnicho and I’m sure you know Bebe Rexha.”  
“Nice to meet you both. My question for you little sis, is how exactly do you KNOW them?”  
I jump in for the save, “O why don’t you all get dressed and meet us by the firepit in my room. I will explain how we know them and then you can explain the rest because…well…whatever! Just get dressed.”  
I turn to Blake and say, “Let’s go.” I give him a quick overview of the Untouchable on the way back to my room. As we walk, I can see everyone hurrying about setting up for the wedding. Patrona rushes over to me and says, “Lexa, Miss Amelia called and said she wants to help. We talked and I think we have everything. The flowers have been ordered. The chef is working on the cake. We decided since everyone will have already eaten at the cookout to just have the cake and desserts. I have ordered some folding chairs and Jose and Reed have gone to restock the liquor and beer and get champagne.”  
I smile, “Thanks, Patrona. I would like you to meet Bellamy Blake, O’s brother.”  
They shake hands and then Patrona is on her way. Blake says, “Did she say Reed and Jose? The ones from Ahmed’s?”  
“Yep, I’m sure we will find time at some point to catch you up on everything. Right now, there is just a lot going on.”  
“Tell me about it! How the hell did Fletch, and Callie end up back together and why are you throwing them a wedding?”  
“Let’s go find Abby so I only have to tell the story once.”  
When we finally make it back to my room, we find Clarke, Abby, Cree, Bebe, and O all sitting around the fire talking about the big proposal last night. Once they noticed us walking in, Abby said, “Lexa, I knew you were a romantic, but I didn’t know to what extreme!”  
Blake looks at me confused, “What is she talking about?”  
O starts talking ninety miles an hour about how I sang to Callie for Ash and then sang to Clarke and blah, blah, blah. I look over at Cree and Bebe and motion them to the side. “Really, guys?”  
They look at each other and smile. Then Cree says, “What? It’s not like we had a chance with you. You are wrapped around Clarke’s little finger and Octavia…well, let’s just say she knows how to have fun. Right Bebe?”  
“Yep, that she does, and it was just what I needed. Oh, and thanks for the hospitality, Lexa. Would it be okay if I stayed for the wedding? I could even perform after the ceremony if you would like.”  
“Sure, that would be amazing. You can stay as long as you like and come back as often as you want. We love to party around here, and I can get you your own room if you would like.”  
She just laughs and says, “I’ll let you know if I need one.”  
I just shake my head, “You are also welcome to come to the cookout if you would like. It is to welcome home Clarke’s mom, Abby and Bellamy.”  
She replies, “That would be cool, thanks.”  
We went back over to the group and stayed there talking until it was time to go to the cookout.  
Clarke  
I can’t believe my mom is finally home. We catch her and Bellamy up on everything on the ride to the yacht. Well, maybe not everything but enough. When Lexa and Blake go to surprise O, I take mom down to what Lex called our room. It’s funny how comfortable it sounded even though we haven’t been together that long. It was even funnier to watch her stutter and stammer when Bellamy called her out on what she had said.  
Once they were gone mom looked at me and said, “So…how are things going?”  
“I guess it depends on what things you are talking about. Lexa wasn’t kidding when she said she had to rescue me from Finn a couple of days ago. It was crazy mom, it’s like she knew I needed her and showed up at the perfect time even though I didn’t call her.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well, there is something I need to tell you and you aren’t going to be happy about it, but I promise that I’m okay.”  
She says, “I don’t like the sound of that, please explain.”  
“Okay, well…we were all out at the Dragon’s Den one night before Lexa and I were really together, and Finn made a scene and was thrown out of the club. I decided to call it a night because I had to work the next morning. Lexa tried to get me to let her take me home, but I wouldn’t let her. I was still so confused about everything; I just wanted some space. So, I went home and went straight to bed. About two hours later, I heard banging on the door, and I went downstairs, and it was Finn. He was drunk, long story short; he broke the door down and well forced himself on me.”  
“Are you fucking kidding me?”  
“No, I’m not but I promise I’m fine. Anyway, Lexa showed up and almost killed him when she found him in the act.”  
“I bet she did. Did you file a report? Is he in jail?”  
“I didn’t file a report because I knew his dad would just get him out of it, but I did let them do a rape kit so they would be a record and evidence. I also had him charged with breaking and entering along with trespassing. Plus, I took out a restraining order out. He went to jail but was out by the next day.”  
“I’m going to talk to Mr. Finn and his father about this. How did Lexa know to show up?”  
“That’s just it. I have no idea. She just said that her gut told her that I needed her, so she came. Then the on Thursday she was having a get together on the yacht with some of our friends to play on the jet skis and stuff. Anyway, I got upset because Ash was at the yacht helping her train, so I used the excuse that I needed to get my swimsuit and pack a bag for the trip to LA for the UFC fight, to I ran home. She asked to come with me, but I told her no because…well…I know now I was just being stupid. So, I told her people would start to show up and didn’t want her not to be there. I had stayed with her the night before because of Finn. Before you ask, she slept on the couch and let me have her bed. When I got home, I pulled into the garage and before I could get the door shut, Finn pulled in behind me close enough so the door wouldn’t shut. He came storming up to my window, yelling and screaming for me to get out so that he could talk to me, but I wouldn’t. I was so scared mom. I was so freaked out that I froze and just started crying. I couldn’t call the cops or Lexa or anything. After a few minutes of him shouting and beating on the window, Miss Penderbrook came out and asked him to leave. He told her to mind her own business and go back home but she called the cops instead and stood across the street and waited. It wasn’t long before Lex just showed up. I could see her in the mirror talking to Miss Penderbrook and then she came and tried to talk some sense into Finn. Long story short, it didn’t work, and she ended up knocking him and his goon out but not before he broke my car window. When the cops finally showed up, Finn tried to have her arrested for assault, but Miss Penderbrook had filmed the whole thing on her phone. Lexa pressed charges for attempted assault and I pressed trespassing charges again and breaking the restraining order. Afterwards, when I asked her how she knew I needed her, she just shrugged and said that something didn’t feel right, and she needed to make sure that I was okay.”  
“Wow, I can’t believe Finn would do something that stupid given the fact that he wants to get into politics. It doesn’t surprise me that she somehow knew you needed her, she always trusts her gut and that is why she and Fletch are still alive today. I’m glad to see that you decided to give her a chance, she really is an amazing person.”  
I can’t help but laugh, “She really didn’t give me much choice in the matter, she just kept showing up when I needed her and also making such romantic gestures and don’t get me started on how amazing her kisses are. It is like tiny electrical sparks all over my body every time her lips touch mine and no, we haven’t slept together yet…well, we have slept together but not SLEPT together. I mean mom she is the complete opposite of Finn. She lets me choose what I want, and she took me on this amazing shopping trip while we were in LA…”  
She interrupts me, “Wait, you mean she actually took you shopping without complaining? I don’t believe that! She absolutely hates to shop.”  
“That’s what Ash and Amelia said too, but we had a great time. She said no one would believe me if I said she enjoyed it.” I laugh.  
“Oh Clarke, I’m glad to see you so happy. Although we may need to talk about what to do about Finn.”  
“Thanks, mom, but you may want to have a conversation with her about the fact that you are okay with us being together.”  
“Why?”  
“I’m not sure why, but for some reason when she found out that I had talked to you about her, she freaked out and said she was afraid that you would tell me not to go near her because of everything that has happened to her. She was afraid that you would want me to be with someone normal, her words not mine.”  
“Why on earth would she think that. She knows how much I like her.”  
“Again, her words not mine, ‘it’s different when I will be dating her daughter not just being around.’ I don’t know maybe just talk to her, please.”  
“Sure thing. I’m so glad to be home. Now let’s go to this cookout and you can introduce me to anyone new.”


	49. Lexa/Ash

Around four thirty, we all decided to head back to shore for the cookout. When we arrived, there were already about twenty or so people there and a good many of them were dressed in military fatigues. As we passed the pool, I saw Asher playing in the shallow end with a few kids that looked to be his age. Once he saw me, he got out and come running over to me, “Where have you and Clarke been, Xa? You were supposed to come watch me play.”  
I couldn’t help but laugh and pick him up even though he was wet. “I’m sorry little man, I was surprised to see my friend Blake here. I haven’t seen him or Abby since your mom and I got home from Afghanistan and I’ve been talking with them. How about you come find me later after you are done in the pool and we can hang out for a while. How does that sound?”  
He looks at Blake and Abby then back to me, “Okay Xa, but it not nice not to introduce me to your friends.” He looks at Blake and reaches his hand out and says, “Hi, my name is Asher, but my friends call me Ash. Your name is Blake?”  
Blake takes his little hand and says, “Nice to meet you Ash. I am Bellamy a friend of Xa’s. Who is your mommy?”  
Before he can answer, a little girl who looks to be around the same age as Asher comes running up to Abby screaming, “Grandma!”  
I snap my head towards Clarke and then to Abby and say, “Grandma? Wh-what, who…h-how…”  
Asher looks at me and says, “Why you stuttering? That is Sabrina my friend. Her dad is Clarke’s brother.” I put Asher down and give Clarke and Abby a confused look.  
“Um, Clarke why didn’t you tell me you have a brother?”  
She looks at Abby and then to me, “Because, he is never around and is usually overseas in Great Britain where he lives. He never comes to any family events and only calls on birthdays and Christmas.”  
Around this time, an older guy walks over toward us. He is around my height probably around 5’8” tall and has the same curly blonde hair and green eyes as Clarke. He looks to be in rather good shape. When he makes it to us, he says, “Mom it is so good to see you. I’m glad that you are finally home.” He then looks at Charley and says, “Hey little sis, it’s been a long time.”  
Abby wraps him in a hug. “Hey, son, I didn’t know you would be here. Nikko I would like to introduce you to Lexa. She is Clarke’s…um…”  
I extend my hand to him and say, “I’m Lexa a good friend of Clarke’s and I know your mom from Afghanistan. It is nice to meet you.”  
He shakes my hand and says, “It’s nice to meet you too Lexa. Amelia has been talking non-stop about you and Ash and the proposal last night and also I hear there is going to be a wedding later tonight.”  
I feel Clarke grab my hand and intertwine her fingers with mine and I smile. I look at Nikko who is now looking at our hands and I say, “I bet I will be hearing a lot of that tonight. It was…”  
Clarke interrupts me, “Nikko, why are you even here? Lexa is my girlfriend not my good friend. She was just trying to be polite because mom couldn’t spit it out, apparently.”  
I look at her and can tell she is not happy. I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to me a kiss her temple. Abby says, “Clarke, let’s not do this tonight okay.”  
Clarke just says, “Whatever! Lex let’s go see if we can find Ashley.”  
She starts to walk away. I glance at Abby and she just shakes her head. I quickly catch up with her as we make it inside. We see Ash and Callie talking to a group of people mostly dressed in fatigues. As we approach, I recognize Raven and Echo. Raven sees me first and looks spooked for a minute, which makes Ash look over and see me. I walk up to Raven and say, “Hey, I didn’t know you would be here. It is good to see you.”  
Raven looks like she doesn’t know what to say and her eyes go wide. This makes Ash laugh, which makes Callie ask, “What am I missing?”  
Ash is still chuckling, “I’m not completely sure but I think that Raven is expecting Lexa to murder you right here in front of all of these people.”  
Raven turns red and Callie gives Ash a look before she says, “What?”  
Ash says, “Well, Raven is scared to death of Lexa and I just introduced you to Raven as my fiancé. When Lexa and I left…well, we were together and…”  
Now I can’t help but laugh, “Raven, it’s fine. Things have changed and I am extremely happy for the two of them. I would like you to meet Clarke. Clarke, Raven. Raven, Clarke is my girlfriend.”  
The look on her face is priceless. Clarke extends her hand and says, “It is nice to meet you Raven. How exactly do you know these two troublemakers?”  
Raven seems to loosen up a little and says, “Um…I was Ash’s physical therapist when she woke up from her coma.”  
Clarke smiles, “Oh, I am so sorry. I bet that was a fun job.”  
Everyone laughs. An older guy in a suit walks up and Ash says, “You didn’t have to dress up for my account, Julian.”  
Hearing that name puts me on edge. I know from DC that he is Ash’s boss at the CIA, and he is here for one reason, to tell Ash about her next assignment. Julian smiles and says, “I hear congratulations are in order. Which one of these beautiful women was stupid enough to say yes to your marriage proposal?”  
I’m not sure why, but that statement really pisses me off. I think Clarke must feel the tension in my body because she grabs my good hand, probably to keep me from doing anything stupid. It doesn’t however make me keep my mouth shut because I say, “And why would someone have to be stupid to marry Ash? She is an amazing, caring, loyal and beautiful person. Who wouldn’t want to marry her?”  
As soon as it leaves my mouth, I know that someone is going to take it the wrong way. I look at Callie and Clarke, luckily, they are just smiling at me. Clarke squeezes my hand to let me know that she didn’t take it the wrong way, but Julian just laughs and says, “So, I guess that means you are the one.”  
Ash speaks up, “What? No, Julian this is Callie my fiancé and that is Lexa my best man, I mean best woman.”  
My mouth drops open and I just stand there. Of course, Ash starts to laugh. Julian just shakes his head and says, “Can we go somewhere private and talk? I want to get this out of the way before everyone gets here.”  
Ash says, “Sure, follow me.” She gives Callie a kiss on the cheek and tells her she won’t be long. As she walks away, Julian follows. Ash takes a couple of steps before she notices that I’m not following them. She looks back at me and says, “Well, are you coming Lexa?” Julian gives her a questioning look as I kiss Clarke and fall into step with them.  
Ash  
It only takes Julian a couple of minutes to pull me away from the party, but I’m not surprised. However, he looks pretty pissed when I tell Lexa to follow us. He will just have to get over that because I’m not keeping secrets from her. She is the one person I trust completely and know that if something goes wrong, she will find me, whether I’m dead or alive.  
I take them into my office where we have access to an encrypted phone and internet line. As soon as I close the door, Julian says, “Ash what the hell is she doing in here? All of this information is classified.”  
“That may be true, but you wouldn’t be here in person if this were a mission without high risks. I trust Lexa completely after Afghanistan and I’m sure I can get her clearance if I have to but she is my back up plan therefore she needs to know everything.”  
“Ash, you know that this is against protocol. I can’t allow it.”  
“Julian, we both know that if this mission were on the books you wouldn’t be here in person.”  
“Fine, you’re right. This is an off-book mission and if anything goes wrong you are on your own. The CIA and the United States will deny knowing anything about it.”  
“That’s what I figured and why she is here. Look, I’m about to be married and I have a son so I’m not that person that doesn’t care if she lives anymore. I’m going to be more careful and I am going to have an iron clad back up plan that doesn’t include any government affiliation. Now tell me what you have for me. Besides, it was Lexa’s plan and execution of said plan that brought down Ahmed and all his men while I was in a coma.”  
He just looks at Lexa and then back to me before walking over to the computer and placing a flash drive in it. He then brings up what looks like a breakdown of blood and DNA. I look at him and ask, “What am I looking at exactly?”  
“Remember the blood sample you had Abby send to me that was found in that hideout that you raided?”  
I glance at Lexa and see that she is following, it is her blood. “Yeah, I remember. Abby said that it appeared the DNA had been mutated with wolf DNA probably while still in the mother’s womb.”  
“Right, well we were able to run more extensive tests on this sample and a few others that were obtained elsewhere and found that there is a lot more to it than what it seemed at first. See this?” He points to some information and brings up some more as he explains, this shows that there was an infusion of three percent wolf DNA, but this here shows something entirely different. See this breakdown here, it shows that the DNA was also infused with something else. In the case of the sample Abby sent, it shows that whoever’s sample that was also had been mutation by an ancient form of DNA that we just recently figured out where it came from. In all the other samples we have been able to find, it is pretty much the same. It is always three percent wolf and five percent ancient most of the time extinct DNA markers.  
“Julian, what are you saying?”  
“I’m saying that someone is using unborn babies as test subjects and infusing their DNA with not only wolf DNA but DNA from ancient warrior civilization, like the Amazonians, Spartans, Akkadian, and Assyrian’s just to name a few. From what we have been able to gather, it looks like whoever is doing this is building an army of assassin’s with unknown abilities. We have been able to narrow down the location of their base but the last agent we sent in hasn’t reported back in almost two months. That’s why I came to you. You said you wanted to know if we found out anything.”  
“Wait! The DNA that Abby gave you was not only infused with wolf DNA but also something else?”  
“Yes, that sample was 3% wolf, 5% Amazonian, 75.8% European, and 19.2% Middle eastern. We aren’t completely sure what that means without being able to obtain more DNA samples or find the person it belongs to in order to run more tests.”  
“Wow! So, do you have a plan?”  
“Sort of. We know that the organizations base is somewhere near Chernobyl or the surrounding Polesie State Radioecological Reserve. The last report we received from agent Natasha Rybak was she had made contact with a child trafficking organization that operated out of Minsk. Usually this wouldn’t raise any red flags, but this particular group only bought girls and young women between the ages of 16-30, which we know is the prime childbearing years. Natasha said that this group never sold only bought and never outside of that age range. She had found a source that told her the group started off recruiting young women from abortion clinics willing to sell their children after birth instead of going through with the abortion. They were given room, board and all doctor’s care while carrying the child. Once it was born, the mother was paid, and a nondisclosure agreement was signed.”  
“So why did they move into buying women instead of continuing this?”  
“Apparently, some of the women had second thoughts after the childbirth and created problems so now they buy women. The source went on to say that now they keep the women drugged and sedated pretty much the entire nine-month period. Anyway, Natasha’s source is a former doctor at the facility where they are doing the experiments. Her name is Viktoria Anderberg from Sweden. She has agreed to meet with you in Minsk and show you where the facility is so that you can find a way to infiltrate it and hopefully find Natasha.”  
“Julian, that isn’t much of a plan. Why is Viktoria willing to help us? What’s in it for her?”  
“Like I said she was a researcher at the facility until she realized they were actually experimenting on humans. She was told that it was strictly theoretical and then on primates. When she started asking questions…well let’s say that it didn’t turn out well for her and she was barely able to escape. I don’t know much beyond that because it wasn’t my mission, but I trained Natasha and I need to be able to tell her family something.”  
“Okay, I will go to Minsk and talk to the contact. Beyond that, I can’t promise anything. I have a family to think about now, but I will assess the situation and go from there. I do have one condition.”  
“What?”  
“Lexa is kept in the loop and if I miss more than two check-ins, you get her anything she needs to come find me.”  
“Fletch are you insane! You know that I can’t promise that. There is no way anyone at the agency will sign off on it.”  
Lexa speaks up, “I honestly don’t give a damn about what your ‘agency’ will or will not sign off on. What I do care about is Ash so if she misses check-ins all I need from you is the up-to-date information she has and a way to get weapons into the country. I can handle everything else.”  
Julian looks from Lexa to me and says, “What is she talking about?”  
Lexa says, “Look, I don’t have time for this! Something is wrong and I need to find Clarke. Ash explain to him that I just need the info, weapons smuggled into whatever country and paperwork for my team. That’s it, the rest I will handle. Now you can fill me in on the rest. I have to go now!”  
I don’t know what to think about her saying Clarke needs her or how she knows. I look at Julian and explain my plan and how Lexa fits in.


	50. Lexa/Clarke

I have been in the office with Ash and Julian for about a half hour listening to his so-called plan, which in my opinion isn’t a plan at all. I did find out some interesting information about myself though and I want to find Abby and Clarke so that I can get them to explain it better. As I continue to listen to Julian say that there isn’t a way to include me in any way, I get this overwhelming sense of fear. It is the same feeling I had when Finn showed up at Clarke’s house. I have to go find her. I look at Ash and say, “Something is wrong. I have to find Clarke now! You explain to him what I need. I have to go.”  
I ran out of the room looking for Clarke. I looked in the game room and by the pool on the patio. I looked everywhere and I didn’t see her. I was beginning to panic when I saw Amelia and Abby talking by the bar. I ran up to them and immediately they knew something was wrong. I could feel the burning in my eyes and knew I was close to tears. “Have either of you seen Clarke? I have to find her!”  
Abby says, “Lexa, calm down and tell us what’s wrong.”  
“I need to find her now! Something is wrong, I just know it and I can’t find her anywhere.”  
Amelia says, “I haven’t seen her in a while but don’t worry we will find her.”  
Octavia comes walking up with Cree and Bebe, “Hey, what’s wrong?”  
I yell, “Have you seen Clarke?”  
O says, “Whoa, chill. I saw her headed inside to the bathroom about ten minutes ago. She was just passing the wine cellar door when I saw her. Now what is going on?”  
I don’t stay to explain. I just take off sprinting toward the bathroom. When I got there, Finn had her cornered in the doorway of the bathroom and he was yelling. I lost it and took off running at him and tackled him hard to the ground. He immediately starts squirming and yelling for me to get off him. I rare back my fist when I feel someone grab my wrist. I know instantly that it is Clarke because of the electricity in her touch.  
I look up at her and she says, “Babe, don’t. He’s not worth it. Let him up and we can just call the cops about the restraining order.”  
I look at her with a tear running down my cheek, “He isn’t going to stop until…”  
I notice her lip is bleeding and she has a bruise forming on her cheek. “He hit you!” I say loudly. “I’m going to kill him.” I see Abby arguing with a man and woman.   
Ash walks up and says, “What is going on here?”  
Clarke says, “When I came out of the bathroom, Finn was standing there and wouldn’t let me leave. He said that he had to talk to me, but I said that I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say and that I wasn’t comfortable being alone with him. I was scared but then Lexa somehow knew I needed her yet again and she came and tackled him to the ground.”  
I looked at Finn who was now standing by an older couple and ask, “Why are you here? This will make the third time you have violated your restraining order.”  
The older gentleman said, “You must be Lexa, the one causing all the trouble for Finn. I am Mayor Collins and the reason he is here is because we came to speak with Abby about everything that has happened in the last couple of months.”  
“I’m not the one causing the trouble, that would be your son. I understand that you would like to talk to Abby but that doesn’t involve him being near Clarke, which is in direct violation of the restraining order.”  
He smirks, “About that, I had the order terminated and these papers drawn up for you.”  
He hands me a set of papers that say subpoena on them. When I look at them, they say that Finn is suing me for emotional distress causing PTSD and that he is filing charges for assault and battery with intent to kill along with threatening to kill him. I look up from the papers and say, “Are you fucking kidding me?”  
Clarke reaches for the papers and scan them quickly before handing them to Abby. I look over at Finn and he has a huge smile on his face and I just want to walk over there and punch him. Clarke speaks up, “Is this really how you want to approach this Mayor Collins? Has Finn told you everything or just what he wants you to know so that you will protect him?”  
Mayor Collins replies, “I think that I know him well enough to know that he would never intentionally hurt you and that he didn’t deserve to be hospitalized for a ruptured testicle or taking a beating because he was just trying to talk to you.”  
I say, “Really? Did he tell you about busting into her house and…”  
Clarke interrupts me, “Did he tell you that he hits me when he is mad or that he broke my car window trying to get to me? I bet he definitely didn’t tell you that he broke into my house and raped me on my dining room table. I pretty sure he left out a few facts when he talked to you.”  
The Mayor says, “He did tell me that he was drunk and mad one night and broke your car window but that he was only trying to talk to you and Lexa came and nearly beat him to death. He also told me that you would say that he raped you but that it was consensual. He said you called rape because you didn’t want Lexa to know that you were still with him when she showed up and that’s why she didn’t press charges because it wasn’t actually rape.”  
I had heard enough and yell, “You have got to be fucking kidding me, right now. She press charges because she didn’t want to have you, or your son embarrass her anymore than she already had been. We have the evidence from the rape kit along with substantial video evidence of both altercations at the Griffin house including the tail end of the rape where she was begging him to stop…”  
Clarke gasps and looks at me, “What?”  
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I didn’t think it was necessary. When O and I got to the house that night, after we talked to the neighbor O thought it would be a good idea to record what happened so we could show the police when they got there so she started before we walked into the house and well…she caught the very end of it on the recording. I didn’t want to upset you anymore but kept it because I was afraid something like this would happen. I would never show it to anyone without your permission and O was the only other person who knew about it until now.” When I looked at her, I couldn’t read her expression and it scared me. I never want to do anything to hurt her or betray her trust, but I didn’t want to upset her either.  
She looks at me with tears in her eyes and walks over to me. I open my arms and her body melts into mine and I just hold her for a few seconds before she whispers, “Thank you.”  
I look at her confused but before I can say anything Abby speaks, “Mr. Collins the way I see it, your son is the one at fault here and my girls have plenty of evidence against him. I suggest that you drop the silly lawsuit against Lexa and keep your son away from them.”  
He says, “Or what? I don’t believe them for a second. If they had that much evidence, they would have pressed charges already.”  
I look at Clarke and ask, “Is it okay if I show him the video of when he broke the car window?” She just nods into my chest.  
I pull away from her and bring up the video of the incident and turn the phone toward him so that he can she what actually happened. When the video was finished playing, I say, “I have at least two other videos showing him doing unspeakable things to Clarke, but I am not going to show you another thing.”  
He says, “How do I know that these so-called videos haven’t been doctored?”  
I hand him Officer Allison’s card and tell him that he can call and speak to her. She has all the evidence and can verify the authenticity of the videos. Abby speaks up and says, “Mr. Mayor, I think it is time for you to leave. If the lawsuit isn’t dropped in a week and Finn isn’t in an anger management rehab facility by then. We will go to the press with the headline, ‘Mayor covers up son’s illegal activities.’ Am I clear?”  
He replies, “We will be in touch.” Then they leave.  
Once they are out of the house, I turn back to Clarke, “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here for you. I should have been by your side not with Ash.”  
Clarke looks up at me and smiles, “It’s okay, you were here when I needed you and that is what matters.”  
“I should have been there to protect you so that you didn’t have to go through…I should have been there. It is my fault all of this happened. Bad things always happen to the people I love.”  
Abby pulls me to the side and says, “Lexa no matter what you think, none of this is your fault, it is Finn’s!”   
“Abby, I understand what you are saying, but the reality is I should have been with her. Instead, I was with Ash. I made a promise to Clarke to be with her and I have already let her down by not being by her side and choosing Ash. Why does everyone I love always end up getting hurt.”  
“Lexa, you didn’t choose Ash over Charley. It is a party; you can’t be right by her side 24/7 and it’s not like you were WITH Ash. You were just helping her. Besides if it weren’t for you knowing something was wrong there is no telling how this would have ended. Why don’t you go get you a drink or something while I talk to Clarke?”  
“If it’s all the same to you, I would rather stay here.”  
“I know you would, but I need to talk to my daughter and would prefer to do it alone. I know you care for her but…I think she could use her mom right now.”  
“Alright, but you should know that I don’t just care for her. I’m in love with her and will do everything I can to keep her safe even if that means being with her 24/7. Will you bring her out to the pool when you are finished talking, please. I just want to be near her.”  
I walk straight to the bar and order five shots of tequila, line them up and down them one by one in quick secession. Ash and Callie come over and just sit on either side of me without saying a word and orders another round of shots.  
Finally, Callie breaks the silence, “Are you okay?”  
I give her a questioning look, “Me? I’m not the one who, who was…”  
She places her hand on my shoulder and says, “I know but I know it’s not easy on you either. Lexa, bad things happen to good people and sometimes there is nothing that you can do to prevent it. Clarke is strong, she will get through this as long as you are there with her. Stop blaming yourself and just be there, that’s what she needs.”  
I hug her and say, “Thank you. I will. You know what I need right now is a big Asher hug. Where is he?”  
Ash smiles and says, “Last time I saw him he was still in the pool. Come on we will go with you to find him.”  
Charley  
After mom finishes talking to Lexa, she tells me to follow her and we go into a bedroom. She smiles, “I know that you want to be with Lexa right now, but I wanted to spend a couple of minutes alone with you, just to make sure you are okay.”  
“I’m sorry, mom. It’s not that I’m not glad to see you…it’s just…”  
She comes and wraps me in a hug and says, “I know, I get it. I haven’t been here for almost a year and now you have a girlfriend to lean on who wants nothing more than to take care of. I understand but I am still your mom and now that I’m home, I want to be here for you as well.”  
“I know mom and I want you here. I’m okay really. I mean, I’m mad and hurt with everything that has happened because of Finn, but they all could’ve been much worse if Lexa didn’t always know when to show up. I’m just really glad she somehow knows when I’m in trouble and shows up.”  
“I am too, but we need to talk about what happens next.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well, for starters, you need to mentally prepare yourself for whatever Finn’s parents decide to say or do. I’m going to go ahead and contact a lawyer just to be safe and then there is Lexa.”  
“What do you mean, there is Lexa?”  
“Honey, she is beating herself up because she is afraid that you are going to hate her. She thinks that you are going to think she chose Ash over you because she was with her and Julian today and Ash was on the yacht when he attacked you in the garage.”  
“Mom, I could never hate her, and I don’t think that for a minute. There is no way she should blame herself or think that. Mom since we are having this conversation, can I ask you something?”  
“Sure, honey, you can ask me anything?”  
“How do you really feel about me dating Lexa? I mean, I know you liked Finn, but this is all new to me.”  
“Sweetie, I love her and she is a good person who has had a rough life but if you are unsure…you really need to talk to her. Yeah, I liked Finn and thought you were good together, but I think that is mostly because you were so close growing up. What I can’t believe is his behavior as of late. I can’t believe he did this.”  
“Oh, no mom. I’m sure that I want to be with her but well…I’ve never…I never enjoyed sex and I’m scared that I won’t enjoy it with her either. I know she says she will go as slow as I want but at some point, she is going to get frustrated with me.”  
“Oh! I guess I just assumed that you had already…crossed that bridge with her.”  
“No, I’m scared. I don’t have a clue as to…uh…I don’t know how to do it with another girl. I hated it with Finn because he was rough and didn’t care about what I wanted and pressured me into it in the first place. What if I just don’t like sex? Will she still want to be with me?”  
“Sweetie, your body will know what to do when the time is right. Are you attracted to her?”  
“Definitely, when we kiss…it feels like little electrical sparks all over my body and then there are the butterflies in my stomach. I could spend all day kissing her and I know I want more, I’m simply scared. There was this one time though, the night before her fight, when things got taken further than ever before and…just when she touches me it made me feel like never before but just when things were getting heated, she stopped and asked me if I wanted to go any farther. I really did but I stopped her.”  
She give a chuckle, “Sounds to me like your body is ready but your head isn’t. Don’t let Finn get in your head, if you do, he has won. It appears that Lexa is only worried about what you are comfortable with and what you want, knowing that should tell you it is different than being with Finn. The fact that your body reacts the way it does to her also should tell you that it is going to be different with her. Look, I know this is new and confusing for you, but you need to trust her and yourself. If she says she is fine with whatever you are comfortable with than you need to trust her when she says it. At the same time if something feels right…well maybe you should see what happens. I feel like I know her pretty well and I feel confident that she will be happy with whatever you want.”  
“Thanks mom. Can we go find my wonderful girlfriend? I think I’m ready for a drink!”


	51. Lexa/Clarke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter that I have already written, which means the updates will be slower in the future. I have lots of ideas for this story and will keep it going as long as there is interest. I appreciate everyone reading and commenting on my story. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

I take one more shot and then we walk out to the pool deck. There are so many people her by now that I don’t know and any other time, I would want to meet them but right now all I want is a hug from Asher and then go back to Clarke. Jess and O come up to me and ask how Clarke is doing and all I can do is shrug my shoulders. We make it to the pool and find Asher playing with a couple of other kids. He sees me and comes running, I ignore my hand which is starting to ache now that my adrenaline is settling down and scoop him up into the biggest hug. I’m not sure he knows what is going on, but he just holds onto me until I break the hug. I look at him and he is smiling from ear to ear. “Xa you okay?”  
I smile, “I’m much better now little man. Thank you for an awesome hug, I really needed it. Are you having a good time?”  
He laughs, “Yeah, there are lots of kids to play with but maybe later we can play video games.”  
“I think that can be arranged. I’ll let you get back to you friends.” I put him down and see both Callie and Ash smiling at me. It really is amazing how a hug from a kid can make you feel better. After Asher heads back to the pool, I walk back over to the bar for a couple more shots. I need to get out of my head, and I would like my hand to stop throbbing.   
As the bartender pours out four more shots, I feel someone wrap me in a hug from behind and know without a doubt that it is Clarke. I turn around on the bar stool and look up at her as she leans down and presses her lips to mine gently at first. My head swirls as I lean into the kiss, my lips softening, yielding to Clarke’s dominance. Her lips part, her hand weaving into my hair as she holds me close.   
I wrap my arms around her waist, shot glass still in my hand. The combination of the tequila and the kiss makes me feel as though I am floating. My stomach clenches in excitement and my body longs to be pressed against hers, closing any gap between us. She takes my lower lip between her teeth, nipping me ever-so-slightly. I grin, deepening the kiss.  
All around us, people are talking, music is playing from the radio and yet I feel miles away from it all, until we hear Abby clear her throat. Clarke pulls away flushed from the kiss and looks at me, “Can I have one of those?” She asks and points to the shots before me.  
“Ya amar, you can have anything you want!”  
Abby laughs and says, “Can I also have one of those? And what does Ya amar mean?”  
Clarke turns red as I say, “Here,” and hand her a shot as the bartender pours three more. “Ya amar, mean My Moon in Arabic. She is my bright light shining on dark nights and days for that matter. It can also mean Most Beautiful, which she is the most beautiful person in the world to me.”  
Abby holds up her hands and says, “Okay, alright I get it. I’m sorry I asked, but I am glad that the two of you are happy.”  
We spend the next couple of hours making the rounds with Clarke and Ash introducing me to a lot of people who I will never be able to remember. I notice at one point that Echo is sitting in Bellamy’s lap and they are kissing. I guess they are more than just military partners. I also see that Jose and Raven seem to be getting along very well.   
We had just finished eating and Asher was sitting in my lap by the pool telling me about his new friends when suddenly, I hear someone yelling for Callie. It doesn’t take long for a guy to appear. I look at Callie and she has gone pale and Ash is turning red. I go into overdrive again and stand up keeping Asher with me while I walk over to where Callie and Ash are.  
Ash says, “Robby, how the hell did you get in here and what the fuck do you want?”  
I realize then that this is Ash’s best friend from high school, the one who caused all the problems. He glances at me, then Callie and takes a step towards Asher. He says, “I came to see my son. When did you get back?”  
Callie yells, “He is not your son! How are you even out of jail?”  
He laughs and squats down in front of Asher, “Hey buddy, you sure are getting big.”  
Asher looks up at me confused. Robby gets up and says, “Who are you?”  
Asher says, “This is my best friend and aunt Xa. Who are you?”  
Robby squats back down as Ash takes a step toward him. “I’m your daddy buddy. I’ve been away for a while but I’m back now and I want to get to know you, son.”  
Asher innocently says, “I don’t have a daddy. I have a mom and a mommy, right Xa?”  
I can’t help but laugh before saying, “That’s right little man. Hey, can I get another Asher hug?” I bend down and pick him up just as Ash gets in Robby’s face. I glance at Clarke and hand her my phone. I whisper, “Go over to the bar and use my phone to video whatever is about to happen because something IS about to happen.” She nods and walks over to the bar.  
I move to stand next to Callie. Ash looks him dead in the eyes and says, “You need to leave now, and we never want to see you again.”  
He smirks and says, “That’s not going to happen. I want to get to know my boy and it is within my rights to do so.”  
Callie says, “You have no rights to him. You are not his father!”  
Now he is laughing, “That’s what you think. Have you bothered to run his DNA through the system to find out who his father is? I guess not. Otherwise, you would know that he is my son. I don’t know why you couldn’t see that Ashley was never going to choose you and I was right there the whole time. I was the one who took care of you while she was playing hero. I was the one who helped you with school and whatever else you needed. I was there for you when you were scared because you hadn’t heard from her. Why couldn’t you see me the way I saw you?”  
Callie says, “Robby, you know why. It has always been Ashley. She is the only person for me, and you knew that. For God’s sake, you were her best friend.”  
He chuckles, “We could have been happy if you would have just given me a chance. That night at the party, you were so drunk and pissed because you hadn’t heard from Ashley in over a month. We were having such a good time dancing and hanging out. I thought you had finally decided to give me a chance, so I kissed you…and for a second you kissed me back. Then you took off for the bathroom and I followed you. I just wanted to talk…”  
As he paused, I could see where this was going, and it wasn’t going to end well. I looked around and realized that because there were so many people here, only a few people realized something was going on. I caught Jess’s eye and she looked freaked out. I can only hope that she comes to the realization that she needs to call the police.  
Robby continued, “I just wanted to talk but you said the kiss was a mistake and should have never happened. I lost it and pulled you in that room and kissed you again. You started fighting me and you fell hitting your head on the dresser and passed out. I was almost finished when you woke up, but you were so drunk and out of it you didn’t even know it was me. I finished and then ran…”  
He didn’t get to finish that sentence because Ash threw a massive right hook that landed to the side of his head knocking him to the ground. He lay there stunned and she took the opportunity to kick him in the ribs as he started to get up. Ash was still advancing on him when one of Cree’s bodyguards stepped in. He said, “I got it. I will take care of him until the police arrive. I heard everything, I guessing he just admitted to raping you?”  
Ash replied, “Not me, my fiancé Callie.”  
Robby starts laughing, “You can’t charge me now, it has been five years!”  
The bodyguard says, “That doesn’t matter as long as she filed a report when it happened, you can still be charged.” He looks at Callie, “Did you file a report?”  
Callie says, “Yes, I filed it that night. That asshole even took me to the hospital.”  
The bodyguard turned to Robby and started to take out a pair handcuffs and walked toward him. Robby reached behind his back and yelled, “If I can’t have them no one will, especially not you Ashley. You don’t deserve to be happy.” He pulls a gun and aims it at Callie. Ash is behind the bodyguard and off to the side, so she has no chance in getting to him or Callie. I’m holding Asher but everything is in slow motion for me and I am right beside Callie. I switch Asher to my left arm, and pull my knife out as I hear the click of the trigger being pulled. I let the knife fly as I spin in front of Callie shielding her and Asher from the bullets. I can only hope they are a small enough caliber that they won’t go through me and hit them anyway.  
I feel the impact of two shots, one in my left shoulder blade and the other in my left side. I look into Callie’s eyes and ask if she is okay. She looks at me wide eyed and nods yes. I hand Asher to her and turn around to see that my knife found a home in Robby’s neck and he is laying on the ground. It must have hit his jugular because he bled out quickly.  
Ash comes running to us, she checks on Asher and Callie before turning to me. “Are you okay? Were you hit?”  
“I’m fine, it must have been a .22 or something small because I don’t really feel it. Is he dead?”  
The bodyguard walks over and replies, “Yes, he’s dead. Is everyone alright?”  
I say, “Yeah, just a flesh wound. What was it at .22?”  
He looks at me confused but nods yes. I look at Ash and Callie and say, “Well, I guess that is one promise I kept.”  
Ash looks at Callie who is just staring at me and laughs, “Yes, you did say if you ever saw him that you would kill him.”  
Callie starts to stutter, “Bu-but you said the same thing about me!”  
“I did, but then Ash asked me not to and you grew on me. As long as you don’t hurt her again, you’re safe.” Ash and I chuckle at the look on her face. I soon hear footsteps fast approaching and turn to see Clarke running toward me. I smile and open my arms for her, and she wraps me in a hug. She mumbles into my chest, “Are you okay? Were you hit? Did you just kill him?”  
“Um…I didn’t really have a choice. He pulled a gun and tried to shoot Callie and Asher so…I threw my knife and it hit its mark. Problem solved!” She looks around and by now there are people standing around watching as the police arrive and covers the body.   
I look at Asher and he has silent tears running down his little cheeks. I turn to him and ask, “Hey little man, are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”  
He sniffles and reaches for me. I take him and he gives me a big hug, “No, I fine thanks to you so is mom. Who was that man and why did he want to hurt mom?”  
I look at Callie and Ash, “Um…he was just a bad guy who used to know your mommies a long time ago. You don’t need to worry about him though, he won’t bother you anymore and I will always be here to protect you.”  
He just nods his little head, “Um…Xa…you bleeding.”  
I smile at him, “Yeah, but it’s just a scratch. I will be fine. I’m going to get Clarke and Abby to take a look at my boo boo’s at home. They will get me all fixed up in time for the wedding. Why don’t you go back and join your friends in the pool?”  
He kisses me on the cheek and says, “Thank you, I will see you tonight.”  
It is when I lean down to put him on the ground that Clarke notices that I am bleeding, and she rushes over and pulls my shirt up. I exclaim, “What are you doing? Why are you taking my shirt off in front of all these strangers?”  
Ash is laughing as Clarke says, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you had been shot? I’m taking your shirt off to get a better look at the wounds.”   
“Um…it’s just a scratch. Can’t we do this at home? I was going to ask you and Abby to come with me to meet Lo in the med bay on the Untouchable.”  
The officer speaks up and says that she has an EMS in route along with the coroner. I tell her thanks, but there are a couple of doctors around. Clarke looks around and finds Abby and motions her over and says, “Mom, tell this idiot that she needs to go to the hospital and have the bullets removed.”  
“Hold up, I’m not an idiot. Unfortunately, I’ve just been shot enough to know that this is no big deal. I can get Lo to administer a local anesthetic and remove the bullets and patch me up. I have a wedding to attend in a couple of hours and I’m not going to miss it over a couple small bullet wounds.”  
Abby glances at the wounds and then smiles at Clarke. “I hate to admit it, but I think she’s right, besides you will learn that she doesn’t really listen when it comes to things like this. Come on let’s go to the yacht and see what we need to do.”  
I smirk at Charley and she rolls her eyes at me. I lean in and give her a kiss on the cheek and whisper, “You know I love you right?”  
She snapped her head towards me with wide eyes and a shocked expression on her face. I can’t help but laugh and say, “It’s true! Let’s go. I will text Lo now.”  
The officer says, “I’m going to need a statement from you at some point.”  
“What’s your phone number and I will text you the video.”  
Ten minutes later, I was laying on the examination bed while Lo and Abby dug out the two bullets and closed the wounds. It only took about a half hour and I found out that Lo had served two tours in Afghanistan with the Canadian army as a combat medic. Clarke sat by my head running her fingers through my hair. Once they were finished, Abby said that she was going to run to the pharmacy and pick up some antibiotics for me.  
I thanked Abby and Lo and then we headed to our room. Once we made it to our room, Clarke helped me change clothes and clean up some before we laid down. It didn’t take long for us to get comfortable and snuggled into one another. It felt good to hold her after everything that has happened today. I kissed the top of her head and ask, “How are you?”  
She tilted her head up from my shoulder so that she could look me in the eyes, “I think I’m okay. The only thing is…I’m just mad that I always freeze and can’t do anything to protect myself, you know.”  
“Albi, I’m really sorry that you had to experience that, and I wasn’t there to protect you. I should have gotten there sooner…no, I should have never left you alone!”  
“Baby, you can’t be by my side 24/7. I’m still amazed that you knew I was in trouble in the first place. I know that you would never intentionally let someone hurt me but maybe you could teach me a few moves so that I can protect myself when you aren’t around. Hey what does Albi mean?”  
I smile, “That I can definitely do. It means my heart because you have my heart.” I lean in and kiss her passionately hoping that she can feel how much I love her. “Do you think that you will be up to being my date for the wedding tonight. I mean…uh…if you don’t feel up to it, I’m sure everyone will understand.”  
“What? I wouldn’t miss the wedding. Babe, I promise I’m going to be fine. I know you are here if I need to talk.”  
“I should’ve killed him when I had the chance.”  
“No, he will get what he deserves and well, I don’t want you to have to kill anyone if it’s not absolutely necessary. I hate the fact that you have had to kill anyone in the first place, but I don’t want it to become something that you are used to doing. Things are different over here and there are consequences when people die. Lucky for you, all of yours have been self-defense so far but I don’t want you to press you luck, alright?”  
“I understand, sweetie, but I can’t let people go around hurting others. Especially the people I love. Robby deserved to die for what he did to Callie years ago, but I didn’t mean to kill him. My instincts just took over when he pulled the gun. I never want to intentionally hurt people.”  
She kisses me, “I know, let’s get some rest.”  
I wake up to banging and yelling at my door. I look at Clarke who is still sleeping soundly and kiss her forehead before sliding out of the bed. I open the door to find Ash pacing the hallway, “What’s wrong? Why are you banging on my door?”  
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong is that it is less than an hour until I say, ‘I do’ and my best woman is still sleeping. I need you to get your ass up and help me get dressed and Callie and Jess need Clarke’s help if…”  
I feel arms wrap around my waist and a soft kiss on my shoulder, “If what?” Clarke says from behind me with sleepy eyes. I turn and kiss her deeply.  
“I think Ash is trying to ask if you feel up to helping Callie and Jess get ready for the wedding. Apparently, we slept too long according to Ash.”  
“Crap! What time is it? I still don’t even know what I’m going to wear.”  
Ash and I laugh, “Don’t worry about that. Callie has your dress and is waiting for you in Octavia’s room.” Ash says.  
Charley looks at me, “I guess I will see you on deck at the ceremony. I love you, babe!” She gives me a quick kiss and is out the door before I can reply.  
I stand there dumbfounded. Did she just tell me she loved me? I mean, I know I told her earlier today, but I think she thought I was just flirting with her, even though I was completely serious. I can’t help but smile as her words sink in. Suddenly I feel a slap to the back of my head. “What the fuck!”  
Ash laughs, “You aren’t listening to me. Here is your suit, we have less than thirty minutes to get dressed. I don’t have time for you to stand around looking all love struck and shit.”  
“You should know by now that it only takes me ten minutes to get ready. Did she really say she loved me?”  
“Well, yeah…ooh was that the first time?”  
“Duh! I mean I told her earlier, but I think she thought I was just flirting with her after everything. So, what are you wearing? A dress?”  
“Actually, no. Callie always loved me dressed in my dress uniform so I thought that I would wear it instead.”  
“Then why are you freaking out? It shouldn’t take that long for you to get dressed in your uniform. Are you nervous?”  
“Hell, yes! I’m not sure why. This was always the plan, until everything happened and now, I just feel like it is rushed because of the mission.”  
I walk over to the fridge and grab the bottle of tequila and pour a couple of shots and hand one to her. “You know, you could’ve waited until you got back if you thought this was too rushed.”  
“I know but after everything, I just want her to know that I will be back for her. I don’t want anything to ever come between us again. I want the life that we always said we would have.”  
“It sounds to me like this is what you want so just chill out. Get dressed and we will have a few drinks and then head upstairs. I need to check and make sure everything is ready for the surprise I have planned.”  
“Wait. What surprise?”  
“I’m not telling you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Now get dressed and here.” I hand her another shot.  
Twenty minutes later, Ash and I are dressed and upstairs waiting. Most everyone is here and already seated. Abby walks up and hands me the mic about the time I see Jess who is being escorted by Blake step up to the carpet signaling it is go time. The music starts and Jess and Blake start to walk, followed by Clarke who is being escorted by Abby and behind them is the bride to be escorted by Ash’s mom Amelia. Callie’s parents had passed a few years ago so Amelia decided she would do the honors.  
As Jess and Blake began their walk, I started to sing, “I'll be kind, if you'll be faithful/You be sweet and I'll be grateful/Cover me with kisses dear/Lighten up the atmosphere…” I pause because when I saw Clarke in her amazing dress, she took my breath away. I recovered quickly with a smile and wink. “Keep me warm inside our bed/I got dreams of you all through my head/Fortune teller said I'd be free/And that's the day you came to me/Came to me/Come to me my sweetest friend/Can you feel my heart again/I'll take you back where you belong/And this will be our favorite song/Come to me with secrets bare/I'll love you more so don't be scared/And when we're old and near the end/We'll go home and start again/I caught you burnin' photographs/Like that could save you from your past/History is like gravity/It holds you down away from me/You and me, we've both got sins/And I don't care about where you've been/Don't be sad and don't explain/This is where we start again/Start again/Come to me my sweetest friend/Can you feel my heart again/I'll take you back where you belong/And this will be our favorite song/Come to me with secrets bare/I'll love you more so don't be scared/And when we're old and near the end/We'll go home and start again/Start again/Today's the day I'll make you mine/So get me to the yacht on time/Take my hand in this empty room/You're my girl, and I'm your groom/Come to me my sweetest friend/This is where we start again,/Again/Come to me my sweetest friend/Can you feel my heart again/I'll take you back where you belong/And this will be our favorite song/Come to me with secrets bare/I'll love you more so don't be scared/When we're old and near the end/We'll go home and start again/Start again”  
When I finish the song, I turn to Ash and hug her. I whisper in her ear, “I love you, now go marry the woman of your dreams.”  
She smiles and takes Callie’s hand as the paster starts to speak. It was a lovely ceremony, but it was torture having to stand across the aisle from Clarke and not be able to hold her hand. She was standing there smiling and looking all sorts of beautiful and I couldn’t concentrate on anything but her. When the vows were finally over, the paster introduced the couple as Mrs. And Mrs. Commander Ashley Fletcher. Everyone cheered as they walked down the aisle and out onto the deck to where the reception was set up. There is a buffet of desserts and a huge wedding cake along with prefilled champagne glasses ready for my toast.  
I grabbed the mic once again and said, “Everyone grab a glass so that we can toast the newly married couple.”  
I look over at Ash and say, “Remember that night at the oasis before we headed to DC?”  
She smiles, “How could I ever forget that night!”  
I look at everyone, “That night I told Ash the story of Andromeda. We were sitting out in the middle of the desert at an oasis looking up at the stars and I pointed out the star Alpheratz which is the brightest star in the Andromeda constellation. Anyway, the story goes, Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus of Greek mythology. Unfortunately, in order to appease Poseidon and keep him from destroying the city of Aethiopia. Andromeda was chained on the seaside, as a sacrifice to the sea monster, Cetus. Just as the monster was about to attack, the son of Zeus, Perseus saw the damsel in distress and decided to save her and asked for her hand in marriage. I can relate to Andromeda. I felt chained up and just waiting to be sacrificed to Ahmed’s cause until I met you, Ash, and you will forever be my Perseus. Because you saved me! Ash, you saved me from the monsters and freed me. I can never repay you for what you have done for me, but what I can do is promise to always have your six and take care of your beautiful family while you are away serving this great country. Ash without you I wouldn’t be standing here today toasting my best friend. Things may have not turned out the way we thought they would that night in the desert but I couldn’t be happier for you and your wife and family. I just want you to know that I will always be here for you as well as them. I will always have your six. I love you both and I know that you will have a great life together. Now let’s eat some cake!”  
Everyone toasted and laughed. Clarke looked at me and said, “That is one story that I haven’t heard before and I feel like I’m missing out on some of it.”  
I smile and kiss her cheek, “That was a long time ago, but if you want to hear the whole story I will tell it to you later.”  
The music started and Bebe started singing. She sang a few of her songs and then it was time for the first dance of the married couple. Bebe said, “For this next song, I’m going to need a little help. It is a song that really hits home with the people here today. Lexa can you please come up and give me a hand?”  
I look around and everyone is cheering for me, but I hadn’t planned on this. I just wanted to enjoy dancing with my girlfriend tonight. Clarke kissed me on the cheek and whispered, “What are you waiting for?”  
I just shook my head and walked onto the stage. I looked at Bebe and said, “What are we singing?”  
“You know what, don’t play dumb.”  
“Fine then. I just want to say one more time that two incredibly special people in my life gave me the same advice as this song and I am extremely glad to have both Abby and Amelia in my life to help keep me straight. Okay bad choice of words since I am clearly not straight because I am totally in love with Abby’s daughter Clarke.” The crowd chuckles and when I look at Clarke, she is crimson red. The music starts and we sing “Meant to be.”  
After the couple’s first dance, everyone joins in and begins to dance to the music. Bebe sings a few songs and then the DJ takes over so that she can join the party. It feels great to be able to celebrate and have fun after the stressful day today. I dance with Clarke, Cree and even Bebe. I even cut in and dance with Callie. As the party starts to wind down and most people have left, the DJ slows the music down and a Dan + Shay song begins to play.  
I look around for my beautiful girlfriend because I want to dance a slow dance with her. I find her talking over by the bar with her mom and Amelia. I walk up and tap her on the shoulder. When she turns to look at me, I give a slight bow and extend my hand, “May I have this dance beautiful lady?”  
She blushes and smiles taking my hand and allowing me to lead her onto the dance floor just as the words start to 10000 hours. I take her in my arms. Her body fits perfectly with mine like we were made for each other. I take her right hand in mine and pull her close, wrapping my left arm so that my hand is on the small of her back. I tuck my head in close so that my lips are almost touching her ear and I sing along with the words of the song.  
“Do you love the rain, does it make you dance/When you're drunk with your friends at a party/What's your favorite song, does it make you smile/Do you think of me/When you close your eyes, tell me, what are you dreamin'/Everything, I wanna know it all/I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more/Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours/And I might never get there, but I'm gonna try/If it's ten thousand hours or the rest of my life/I'm gonna love you/Do you miss the road that you grew up on/Did you get your middle name from your grandma/When you think about your forever now, do you think of me/When you close your eyes, tell me, what are you dreamin'/Everything, I wanna know it all/I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more/Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours/And I might never get there, but I'm gonna try/If it's ten thousand hours or the rest of my life/I'm gonna love you/I'm gonna love you/Ooh, want the good and the bad and everything in between/Ooh, gotta cure my curiosity/Ooh, yeah/I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more/Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that/Sweet heart of yours/And I might never get there, but I'm gonna try/If it's ten thousand hours or the rest of my life/I'm gonna love you/I'm gonna love you/And I'm gonna love you/I'm gonna love you.”  
When the song stops, I notice that everyone has stopped to watch us dance. I look into her eyes and say, “Clarke Griffin, I’m going to love you the rest of my life.” Her eyes are glowing bright green in the moonlight and I lean forward and brush a kiss over her deliciously full lips as every part of me ripples with pleasure. She buries her hands in my hair and pulls me closer. Her mouth was warm, her lips soft. My stomach did a flip as her lips part at the gentle teasing of my tongue. Rationality, caution, and time all ceased to exist as she deepens the kiss, our tongues playing a slow, arousing dance that I wanted to go on forever. We were lost in our own little world, until we hear someone yell, “Why don’t you two get a room?”   
I pull away feeling flushed and wet. When I look to see who broke my trance, I see Blake and O doubled over laughing. “Real funny you two.” I take Clarke’s hand and head over to the bar and they follow. By now the only people left are Ash, Callie, O, Bebe, Cree, Blake, Echo, Reed, Sloan, Jose, Raven, Abby, Amelia, Clarke, and me. I order a round of tequila shots and raise my glass and say, “To new beginnings!”  
After taking the shots, Clarke and I hugged everyone and I said, “So…everyone know the drill by now. Pick a room and make yourselves at home. If you get hungry call the kitchen or Patrona and she will take care of you. We will see everyone sometime tomorrow. Goodnight.”  
Ash says, “Morrigan is going to fly us over to the base at two tomorrow. I would really like for you and Clarke to come.”  
I look over at Clarke and raise my eyebrow and she nods yes. “Okay then, we will see you at two.”  
Clarke  
The wedding ceremony was amazing, and I will never get tired of hearing Lexa sing. She did an awesome job with the Goo Goo Dolls Song Come to Me. Everyone was dancing and drinking and having a great time. I was over at the bar talking to mom and Amelia when Lexa appeared and ask me to dance. There was a Dan + Shay song playing that I didn’t really know but apparently, she did because she pulled me in close and sang it into my ear so only, I could hear her. I kept replaying the conversation I had with mom earlier. Lexa makes me feel so good, even now just dancing there was electricity crackling through my skin at her contact. Not to mention the fact that she is singing me a romantic song while staring into my eyes. I get lost in her steel blue eyes and my stomach flutters with butterflies then a sudden wave of arousal works its way through my body. When she finished the song she says, “Clarke Griffin, I’m going to love you for the rest of my life!”  
Then she leaned in to kiss me and I felt the spark in every part of my body, especially in my underwear, and I felt the heat rise up in my chest. Suddenly, the moment is broken by Bellamy yelling for us to get a room. She pulls back and smiles. That smile! It did funny things to my body. I feel things that I can’t define. Scary, amazing things. Things I want to hold onto forever.   
“So, do you want to call it a night and uh…well, maybe get a room?” I say while looking at the ground.  
“I would love nothing more! You are looking so damn sexy tonight…let’s go say goodnight.”  
We walk back over to the bar where mom and everyone are standing. I lean in to give my mom a hug and she whispers, “Stop overthinking everything. If it feels right just let it happen, your body will know what it wants. Don’t think just react!”  
I can’t believe what my mom is saying. She is pretty much telling me to have sex with my girlfriend. I never thought I would hear her tell me to have sex with anyone but… After we say our goodnights, we head down to our room. I can’t believe I have started to call this our room, but it feels like home to me. I feel safe and wanted here with Lexa. She opens the door for me and allows me to walk in first. As soon as I hear the door shut, I turn around and push her up against the door and a moment passes as a bolt of electricity surged though my body. Lexa brought her hands to my hips and drew me in. Words weren’t necessary at the point.  
My breath caught and I could see the fire blazing in Lexa’s eyes, and it was all I needed to say fuck it and just go with it. I crashed my lips to hers, both of us moaning at the connection. A fervent meshing of lips and tongues that said everything unspoken. I love you, I want you, I need you, I can’t stand to be without you.   
As our tongues tangled, my hands came up to cradle her face then ran through her hair. I want to shout out everything I am feeling in this one perfect moment. I want her to know everything that she makes me feel. When we eventually pull apart, we were panting. She reached down and lifted me up and my legs instinctively went around her waist. I leaned down to reattach my lips to hers when I realized that she is holding me with a bad hand and two bullet wounds in her back. I huff out, “Stop! Put me down!”  
She has a startled hurt look in her eyes that nearly breaks my heart, but she immediately puts me down and steps away. I instantly miss the warmth of her body and regret the harshness of my words, but I can’t help but worry that she will hurt herself to make me happy and I don’t want her to be in pain.  
She won’t look me in the eyes, but says, “I’m sorry. I let myself get carried away. I don’t…”  
I step to her and place my hand on her cheek, interrupting her thought. “Babe, it’s not that. I want it as much as you do, maybe even more but you are hurt. You shouldn’t be lifting me with your shoulder and the stitches in your back. You need to take it easy.”  
She looks at me in disbelief, “Don’t you worry about me, I promise I am fine. I just don’t want to hurt you or make you uncomfortable. I know you have been through a lot lately, but I just can’t help the way you make me feel. I’m happy to spend the rest of my life just kissing you. We don’t have to do anything more. I just need you in my arms.”   
I look deep into those beautiful steel blue eyes and grip the sides of her face. “I’m glad to hear that you are willing to do that for me, but I want you. No, I need you and right now!”  
Dipping my head down, I trail my open mouth along her neck, licking, kissing, nibbling. My hands slide up under her suit jacket and I slide it off her shoulders onto the ground, next I begin to unbutton her vest while brushing my lips across her jawline. Again, she reaches down and lifts me into the air and as I pull my lips away from hers to protest, she says, “I’m fine, don’t stop.”  
So, I continue by unbuttoning the first few buttons her shirt as she carries me towards the bed. She sits my feet back on the floor never breaking the kiss. When she pulls away, she looks at me concerned and says, “Are you sure?” I nod and she reaches around and slowly unzips my dress then she starts to kiss my neck and nibble my ear as she slips her hands under the shoulders of my dress and starts to slide it off while kissing the skin as it is exposed, until the dress falls in a heap around my ankles.  
I stand there in my lacy black bra and underwear and she is just staring at me. She mumbles, “You are so beautiful.” She lifts me up again and places me gently on the bed. She runs her hands up my sides savoring every inch, before moving to cup my breasts through my bra. She starts by kissing my neck down my shoulder to my collar bone and then she takes one of my breasts in her mouth over the top of my bra as she runs her hand down my stomach and overtop of my underwear feeling the wetness between my legs. My body twitches under the pleasure of her touch. She reach around and grabs the clasp of my bra to undo it but looks me in the eyes first asking permission. Instead of verbalizing my answer I reach up and grab her behind the neck and bring her in for a passionate kiss and then reach down to undo her pants button.  
As my bra fell away, I heard Lexa’s breath hitch as she lowered her head, she raked her teeth over my nipple. I couldn’t help but let out a soft cry as she sucked and nipped one, then the other. I pull her back up to my lips and kiss her deeply, but again she pulls back as if compelled to do one final check to make sure she was reading my signs clearly.  
I grab Lexa’s face with both hands, smashing our mouths together with urgency. She didn’t part her lips at first, but I deepen the kiss, and Lexa responds with an increased need. Her arms encircled mine, and we continued kissing. I find it amazing that she is letting me take control and set the pace. No one has ever let me act first and it was a nice change to be in control for once. This kiss was quickly morphing into the kiss. The one against which to rank all others even though we had already shared a few amazing kisses, this one was different.  
Lexa pulls away breathless and with her cheeks an adorable flushed pink color. “Albi, are you sure you are okay with this going farther?” She asks while leaning down to peer into my eyes.  
I don’t answer her only thinking in my head, Come on, Clarke. Answer her. This is the moment I need to decide what I want and need. She is letting me make the decision and I definitely want this to happen but am I ready for it right now. I mean with everything that has happened today, is this really the right time? Then I hear my mom’s words echoing in my head, ‘don’t overthink it, let your body take control!’  
“Hey, if you need to, we can slow this down. Go back to Plan A and continue to lay here and kiss.”  
I lay my head back on the pillow and again I hear my mom’s words in my head about not letting my fear win out. Besides, what was there really to be afraid of? I was in control; Lexa has made that perfectly clear on more than one occasion. I finally respond by raising my head up and pulling her into a kiss.  
For what seemed like hours, we kissed. I quickly flip us so that she is the one on her back and I am straddling her. I notice a slight wince as he back hits the bed and I stare into her beautiful eyes for a moment and ask, “Are you okay?”  
She smile and nods, “I would be better if you would come down here and kiss me.”  
Instead, I rip her shirt the rest of the way open exposing her amazing tight six pack abs or more like an eight pack. Her entire body is practically muscle, which is beyond hot. Our hands seek out the other’s skin under what is left of our clothing. I fist Lexa’s hair, causing her to emit a soft moan.   
She pulls away. “I think we should slow down and savor our first time.”  
“I know it’s our first time and we should savor it, but I don’t know if I can slow things down. The way you look at me and make me feel when you touch me…it does something to me that I can’t put into words. I need this, I need you now.” I say smiling down at her.  
“Good, because I’m not so sure I could put the brakes on either.” Lexa placed her hand on my cheek. “Not with you looking at me like that.”  
I lean into her touch, “Like what?”  
“Like you want to rip my clothes off and have your way with me.”  
I let out a small chuckle, “Uh…that’s exactly what I want to do!”  
She raises her eyebrows at me, “Are you sure you are ready…we can always…”  
I answer her by leaning down and passionately kiss her. There is no going back now. Our bodies became intertwined once again. Kissing. Pawing. Groping. I broke the kiss and moved to nibble at her ear and then started kissing down her jawline to her collar bone. I run my hands down her beautifully taught body realizing she still had on her shirt and bra. “You have on too many clothes. Sit up!” I commanded.  
She looks startled by my tone but then smiles and obeys my command and sat up. When she did, she took my breast in her mouth and slowly circled my pert nipple with her tongue. A moan escaped my mouth and I rip her shirt and bra off, casting it onto the floor. I take a long lingering look at her dark tanned skin, perky breasts. My eyes roving over her perfect body.  
She looks at me with darkened grey eyes, “Do you like what you see?”  
“You’re fucking gorgeous, babe. Now let me get you out of those pants.”  
I reach down and unzip her already unbuttoned pants and grab the waistband with both hands as she arches her back off the bed allowing me to pull both her pants and underwear down at once. My fingers tracked up and down her side.  
As I straddled her, looking down at her scarred body taking in how amazing she was. She reaches up and starts to massage my breast and I couldn’t quite believe I was actually doing this, willingly and enjoying it. I never wanted this with Finn, and I hated every minute of it, but he never made me feel the was Lexa does. I let out a soft moan and the next thing I know I’m looking up into Lexa’s beautiful eyes from my back as she straddles me.  
Lexa  
As much as I want to let her take control and have her way, I just can’t help myself as she stares down at me with those dark green lustful eyes. I have never seen her eyes so dark and full of want so when she lets out that wonderful moan, I flip her onto the bed hoping she will let me take control first.  
She looks up surprised and I ask, “Do you mind if I go first? I’ve been dreaming of this moment since the first time I laid my eyes on you.”  
A few seconds pass without an answer and I start to stutter, “I-I’m sorry. Seeing you like…like this is driving me crazy and I just need to touch you but if you are uncomfortable I…”  
She interrupts my rambling, “Ceilo, I trust you. It’s just…I’ve never done anything like this before so…”  
“Ceilo, Spanish for sky?”  
She smiles up at me and says, “If I am the moon, you are the sky that holds me.”  
I lean down and kiss her pulse point just below her ear and whisper, “I’ve got you. Just let me love you. If you want me to stop at any time, just say so.”  
Clarke nods and closes her eyes. I lick and nip my way to her left breast. I use my tongue to flick the nipple, and it starts to harden in my mouth. I apply pressure, softly at first and then more.  
“Oh,” she moans.  
I continue to torture the nipple in a tantalizing manner, and I could tell it was driving her mad with want because her hips arched upward. I glanced up at Clarke to find her staring at me with those mesmerizing now hunter green eyes. I smile and ask, “Is this okay? Can I take off your panties?”  
The only answer I receive is her arching her back allowing me to pull off her underwear. Once they were discarded, I once again straddled her allowing our juices to mix while I rocked my hip into her. We began moving together, she was clasping onto my back as if needing to pull me as close as humanly possible.  
I peer into her eyes, questioning, and she whispers, “Please.”  
I nod making it clear that I knew exactly what she craved, and I began my trek down, following a winding path that didn’t seem to make sense, but I didn’t think it matter given the sounds escaping her lips. My skin was aflame, while my mouth and tongue continued downward.  
Farther and farther. Her eagerness spurred an over-whelming yearning I had never experienced, not even with Ash. Juices pooled between my legs.  
“Jesus!” Clarke shoved her head deeper into the pillow.  
“Do you want me to stop?” I ask and rake my teeth on her pubic hairs, followed by me running my hand up the inside of her right leg.  
“Uh, no! Um, that would be very disappointing.” She snapped.  
“Guess it’s a good thing that I’m not planning on stopping anytime soon well, unless you tell me too that is.” I ran one finger along the slippery surface of her outer lips. All the way up, then back down. Repeating the action until my finger was good and wet. Then I suck my finger while maintaining eye contact with Clarke. “You taste amazing. I am going to savor every drop of you.”  
Her chest heaved up, and her tongue licked her lips in anticipation. Her eyes never leaving me as my head dipped closer to her wetness. My tongue made contact with Clarke’s clit. Swiping it once, before exploring all of her nether region. Clarke had a sharp intake of breath and fisted the comforter. I was about to ask if everything was alright when she spread her legs further, granting me full access.  
My tongue penetrated Clarke. Hesitant at first, but quickly becoming more emboldened and plunging in deeper. She tasted amazing!  
She groaned, “Oh, fuck.”  
I stopped immediately, “Did I hurt you? Is it too much?” I couldn’t help but think that this may hurt her…maybe she is still sore…  
Her head popped up and she said, “No, please don’t stop!”  
I smiled and moved my tongue back to her bundle of nerves. She writhed, and I ask, “Are you okay? Can I enter you with my finger?”  
She nods yes and I slowly slide a finger inside of her. Hoping that I wasn’t hurting her. She threw her head back onto the pillow and closed her eyes with a moan.  
“Tell me what you like, hard of soft?”  
Her eyes snapped open. “Huh, wh-what? I-I don’t really know. Maybe a little harder.”  
I placed my tongue back on her clit and slowly inserted my finger in and went a little deeper this time.  
“Don’t stop,” Clarke panted. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”  
I circled her bud, all the while my fingers moved slowly in and out, a little deeper with each thrust.  
“Oh my God!” she squirmed, trying not to buck around too much but seeming nearly impossible not to.  
My tongue continued to circle, doing my best to stay in the right spot. Then I pulled away, “Do you want another finger?”  
Clarke’s eyes snapped open for a second and nodded frantically. “Okay but tell me if it gets to be too much.” I inserted a second finger, setting back to work with my tongue.  
“You feel so good. So amazingly good, Lexa.”  
I go in deeper. Clarke lurched up, which unnerves me, and I remove my fingers and stopped lapping her clit. “You okay?”  
“Yes! You have no idea. Please, don’t stop.” Clarke steered my mouth back into place. “And inside. Need you inside.”  
I willingly complied, moaning as I reentered and going as far as I could. It didn’t take long for her to say, “Oh God, this is…” She didn’t have time to finish the sentence as the orgasm darted through her.  
I plunge in one last time, curling my fingers upward, but I didn’t still my tongue, causing the orgasm to spill into another. Then another. Clarke’s entire body shook. And again. After the fourth full body spasm, she fell back onto the bed.  
I kept my fingers inside but rest my cheek on the inside of her thigh.  
“That was…” she starts.  
“Yes?” I probe. I support my head with my palm and can still feel her release on the lower half of my face.  
“I’ve never…” she sucked in air.  
“Never what? Surely you’ve had an orgasm.”  
“Actually, I really haven’t. And well…that was like four in a row.” She chuckles still out of breath.  
“Wait. What? You mean…you have never, but I thought…”  
“I told you, I don’t or well didn’t like sex. He only wanted to please himself and I just thought…well I just thought that is what all sex was like. But now…”  
“Oh, God! I’m so sorry, but I just couldn’t stop. You taste amazing.”  
“No don’t apologize. It was amazing…fantastic…If I had known this was possible, we would have done this a long time ago.” Clarke’s breathing was still ragged. “Give me a minute, before…”  
I smile, “Before what? You’re ready for a fifth, because I can do this all night!”  
Clarke  
I roll Lexa onto her back and straddle her, enjoying the feel of her bare hard stomach on my slick folds. “Nope, it’s my turn!”  
“Clarke you don’t have too. I’m fine with…”  
“What? Do you not want me to?”  
“I definitely do! But only if you want to. I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”  
I lean down and kiss her, tasting my own juices. I work my way to her ear and tug on the lobe before circling the ear with my tongue and whispering, “Oh, but I really want to!”  
Lexa moaned. “Step one to over-coming not liking sex, receiving,” I whispered. “And FYI it was amazing.”  
I capture Lexa’s lips, deepening the kiss instantly. “Now, time to find out what you like. The ear is a definite yes. What about your nipple?”  
“You’re getting a little cocky,” Lexa teased. “I like it.”  
I take her nipple into my mouth, soft at first. Then I flick it with my tongue and press my teeth gently into the nub. It roars to life in my mouth. “I’m counting this as a yes.”  
Her moan added to the confirmation. I sit up, straddling her midsection. “We’ve made a mess of this comforter, and I think it is only going to get worse. Patrona is definitely going to know what went on in here.” I say as I start to ride Lexa, who matches every thrust with her own. Her eyes admiring my breasts. “Are you a boob girl?” I tease.  
“I’m definitely enjoying the way they are moving right now.” I jiggle them a bit more, still riding her.   
She attempted to fondle one, but I slap her hand away. “It’s my turn to take charge.”  
“Just a feel, please,” she begged.  
“This seems like something I can take advantage of.” I lean down and practically smothered Lexa’s face with my tits. The pleasing sounds made it clear the action was much appreciated.  
I kiss her, sweetly at first, but it turned into an I love you kiss. I move down to her nipple and tease it until it hardens as one of my hands trail down her muscled stomach, enjoying the hardness.  
“Your turn. Fingers or no?”  
“Yes, please.”  
I ease one in, amazed by how wet she is before we really got going. Well, before I have had a chance to properly reciprocate. It’s amazing that she is this turned on by pleasing me. My mouth continues to work her nipple, and my fingers explore her lips.  
She lets out a growl, urging me on. I trek down her stomach, pausing on each of her scars for soft kisses or nips on her flesh. I could explore her brown skin for hours, never getting bored. Arriving at her patch of hair, I deeply inhale the musky scent. I have never smelt anything like it, and I think that I could just stay here breathing it in for the rest of eternity.  
I insert a finger, watching it slip in and out of her. I whisper, mainly to myself, “You feel amazing.” I close my eyes to focus solely on being inside. The warmth of her muscles tightening around my finger. I add another and dive in deeper.  
She elevates her buttocks off the bed. “Another?” I ask.  
“Yes!”  
I add a third. Lexa welcomed it by shuddering more. I can’t rip my eyes away from her face, wanting to see her as she edged closer and closer to bliss. She thrashes more frantically, and I could sense she was edging even closer and I increase the speed. I decide in this moment that I had to taste her no matter what and I took her bud into my mouth. The taste was alluring, pungent and amazing. I can’t help but think that I am going to crave this again and again.  
She moaned louder and louder, propelling me to intensify my licking of her clit and plunging in deeper, her intake of air greeting my ears. I penetrate harder and harder. Lexa’s breathing deepened, and she explodes into my mouth.  
Her body shook once, turning into trembling, and she reached for my free hand. Our hands clasped, while she bucked off the bed momentarily and then fell back onto the bed, her back arching. I went in farther and pull my fingers upward in hopes of finding the G-spot that everyone talks about. I’m met with a growl and a full-body spasm.  
“Hold your fingers right there,” she instructed. I watched as she came again. Hard, screaming Ya amar, Clarke. Once her orgasm passed, I slowly slide my fingers out of her. She raises her head up off the bed to look at me just as I’m licking what’s left of her off my fingers. I can’t get enough of her taste.  
“That was…that was earth shattering! Are you sure you’ve never done that before?” She asks as she pulls me up her body so that I am laying on top of her.  
I smile and look into her now bright blue eyes, “I’m positive that was my first time, but I can promise that it won’t be the last. I can’t believe how great sex can be with the right person. All these years, I thought there was something wrong with me. That I was broken.”  
She grabs me by the back of the neck and says, “Hey, you aren’t broken. No matter what anyone says, you are not broken. Do you understand me?”  
She is looking at me with an intensity that startles me at first but then it dawns on me what I just said and what Finn said earlier. I lean in and kiss her deeply, “I understand, completely. How is your back and shoulder?”  
“I’m fine. I’ve never been happier than I am right this minute. I love you Clarke Griffin and I’m going to marry you one day.”  
I can’t believe she said that. I mean I shouldn’t be surprised, she said it the other night to that reporter and then to Ash. I just thought it was because of the drugs she was on at the time. I think she took my silence as a bad thing because she says, “Uh, it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I just wanted you to know what I was feeling right now.” She turns her head away from me.  
“Alexandria Trikru…I love you too and I would love to marry you someday.”  
“What? Really? I mean that’s awesome, but I don’t want you to think this is a proposal. I-I mean because when I propose it will be epic not after mind blowing sex that comes after the proposal.” I say with a smirk.  
I lean in and kiss her deeply and whisper, “It better be after what you did for Ash and Callie.” I roll off of her, “I’m going to get a shower, care to join me?”  
She jumps up and takes off toward the bathroom and I see that she has bled through her bandages and has blood running down her back. I yell, “Stop, right there, missy!” She stops immediately and turns around.  
“What? What did I do?”  
“You said you were fine, but you’re not. You are bleeding. Go sit down while I look for some gauze.”


	52. Lexa

After Clarke rebandages my back, we take a shower together and then go to bed. She wouldn’t let me do anything more than snuggle with her because she said that I needed to rest. Sometimes dating a doctor can suck!   
I woke up around ten the next morning with Clarke laying halfway on top of me. Her head was on my chest and she had one arm and leg thrown across my body. I couldn’t help but smile as we lay here completely naked. I kiss the top of her head and run my fingers down her back, as I did goosebumps popped up wherever I touch. I am amazed at how her body responds to my touch. She lets out a soft moan while still sleeping. I shifted my body so that I could kiss her shoulder as I continued to draw circles on her back with my fingers. I move from her shoulder up to kiss her neck and then nibble her ear. She lets out another moan and I can feel her getting wet on my leg.  
I kiss her neck again and her eyes flutter open. I smile down at her, “Good morning beautiful.”  
She looks up at me with darkened green eyes, “What do you think you are doing. Ceilo?”  
“Um…I-I…well I woke up with this beautiful naked woman draped across my body and my lips and hands have a mind of their own. They just sort of gravitated toward your body and…”  
I don’t get to finish my statement because her lips brush on mine in a soft kiss. My heart begin to race but at the same time I was content, but a fire began to build in my soul. Clarke sank into the kiss and slightly parted her lips asking for more as her hands, now on my hips, pulled me closer. I obliged and she slips her tongue inside and I melt into her. After several moments we pull back, both breathing hard.  
Clarke looks me in the eyes and says, “I could really get used to being woken up like that every morning, but I think that we should slow down. You need to take it easy with your back and hand.”  
“I promise I’m fine. Last night was amazing and I-I just want to repeat it as much as possible. I-I mean…if that’s something that you-you would like. If-if not…”  
“Babe last night was mind blowing and of course I want to do it again. I just…I just don’t won’t you to hurt yourself anymore and we have plenty of time.”  
“Fine, then let’s go up for breakfast and then we can come back and get ready to go with Ash.”  
On the flight to the base, Abby decided that while Ash gave Asher a tour of the base that I needed to go and have my hand x-rayed and the ortho on the base would look at it and let us know if I needed surgery. Then we could all meet up and say our goodbyes.  
Once we landed, we went our separate ways. Abby, Clarke, and I headed to the base hospital while Callie, Ash and Asher headed for a tour of the base. The x-ray didn’t take long, and the orthopedic doctor said everything was healing fine and that I didn’t require surgery. He also said that the cast could probably come off next week. Once he left the room, Clarke looked at Abby and ask, “How is it possible that her hand and wrist are healing so fast. She should be in the cast for at least six weeks not just a week.”  
Abby replies, “All I can say is that she heals fast and it is probably due in part to the mutations in her DNA.”  
I speak up, “About that, while Julian was giving Ash and I the run down on her upcoming mission he said some things about the blood sample of mine that you had given them.”  
Clarke says, “Mom, you gave the military and CIA Lexa’s blood. That isn’t good, when they find out about the mutations, they will want to use her as a pin cushion for all kinds of tests. How could you do that?”  
Abby replies, “Calm down, I didn’t give them the name of the person the sample came from. Ash and I told them that the paperwork and blood sample was found when raiding Ahmed’s bunker so that no one would be able to trace it back to Lexa. Lexa what did Julian say about the results of the tests he ran on your blood?”  
“Something about not only having wolf DNA but also DNA from an ancient warrior society. I think he said Amazonian or something. I will see if Ash can get me a print up with all the information so that you and Clarke can analyze it.”  
She replies, “Alright, let’s go find the rest of the group. It should be about time for Fletch to have to board her plane for DC.”  
When we do finally meet up with them, Asher comes running to me and says, “Look at all the cool things mommy got me.”  
He has on a Navy Seal hat and is carrying a backpack like we carried our gear in while we were on missions and it was full of clothes and toys. After he shows me what’s in his bag, he looks up at me and says, “Mommy says that while she is away on her mission that you are going to help mom take care of me. Does that mean I can stay with you some and we can play video games?”  
I laugh and look over at Ash and Callie, both of them are smiling and nodding yes. “As long as it is okay with your mom, you can come hang out with me anytime especially when you are missing you mommy. Plus, if you or your mom ever need anything all you have to do is give me a call.”  
“Thanks, Xa. I love you.”  
“I love you too, little man.”  
Ash says, “Lexa, Julian would like to see you and I really quick to go over a few last minute details before I leave.”  
“Sure, no problem. Clarke do you mind if I…”  
She interrupts me, “Ceilo, I will be fine. We are on a military base, no one can get to me here. Go and take care of whatever you need and don’t worry about me.”  
I smile and give her a quick kiss before following Ash into an office building. As we walk Ash looks at me with a raised eyebrow and says, “Ceilo, as in Spanish for sky?”  
I smile and nod, “Clarke said if she was my moon, Ya amar, then I was her sky, ceilo, because the sky holds up the moon and that’s what I do for her, hold her up when she needs it.”  
Before we go into the office, Ash stops and looks at me, “Aww, that’s so sweet. I’m glad she finally decided to give you a chance. I want you to be as happy as I am and I just want you to know that it means everything to me that you are willing to look after them while I am gone. Knowing that will give me a little piece of mind so that I can concentrate on the task at hand.”  
“Ash, you know I’ve got your six and that includes taking care of your family. I just need you to be careful and come back in one piece. Oh, and do you think that you can get me the info on my blood tests so that I can let Abby evaluate it and explain it.”  
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Come on and let’s get this over with.”  
We walk into Julian’s office and he throws me some sort of electronic device that I have never seen before. I look at him and ask, “What is this?”  
He looks at me confused and Ash says, “It’s a pager. It has its own phone number that people can call and leave you their phone number. It is what came before cell phones. If someone needed to get a hold of you, they would call the number and then put their number in so that you would know to call them. This one is for me to check in with you. Pagers are harder to trace than cell phones and text messages so once a week, I will send you the numbers 08222020. This message means everything is okay. If I need to tell you anything else, those numbers will be followed by more numbers that spell out the message using numbers corresponding to letters on the phone. Do you understand?”  
“Yep, I got it.” Next, Julian hands me a laptop and a simple flip phone.  
He says, “This is a highly encrypted laptop that is virtual un-hackable, and the phone is a burner phone to use when I need to contact you, or you need to contact me. My number is the only one programed into the phone. All the information we have right now about the mission is on the laptop, including the info you saw at the cookout. I will email you any new information as Fletch relays it to me, that way you are kept up to date on what we find in case you need to perform a rescue mission. If Fletch misses two consecutive check-ins with you, you call me using that phone. I will do the same if she misses them with me. Now do you have the names of your team so that I can get the paperwork in order just in case.”  
“I know three for sure and the other two I just need to double check with first. I will email you all the names tomorrow.”  
He looks at Ash and then me and says, “Well, that’s all I have for you. Fletch good luck and be safe. Your plane leaves in a half hour.”  
As we walk back to where we left everyone, I grab Ash’s wrist and stop her. She looks at me confused and I say, “I need you to be careful. I need you to get as much detailed information as you can and send to me in case, I have to come get you. Please don’t do anything stupid and make sure you come back to me…I mean us.”  
She pulls me in for a hug and says, “I promise to do everything within my power to get back as soon as possible. Oh, and I am having a surprise loaded onto the chopper for you. It is all your equipment from Afghanistan. Your guns, knives, and armor. Everything you will need in an emergency.”  
Twenty minutes later, we had said our goodbyes and watched as Ash said bye to Callie and Asher. As I watched her squat down to talk to Asher, I could see he was crying, and he captured her in a big hug. Then he came running over to me and I scooped him up as he buried his head in my neck while he continued to cry. “Hey little man, mommy will be back soon. It’s going to be alright.”  
He sniffles and says, “But last time she was gone for years and I just got her back. Now she is leaving again, and she can’t tell me for how long.”  
“I promise it won’t be for as long as last time. If I have to, I will go and get her myself. She isn’t running from you buddy; she is just doing her job. Besides, last time you didn’t have your best friend, now you do. We will have all sorts of fun while your mommy is working, okay. How about you make a list of things you would like to do, and we will put them in a jar and every weekend we will pull one out and do it. It will be called Asher’s adventure jar. How does that sound?”  
He pulls back and looks at me, “Really, we can do that?”  
“As long as your mom says it is okay, we will do it.”  
“Okay, put me down. I go ask.”  
I put him down and before I can say we can ask later, he is gone. He looks up at Callie and Ash says something and then points to me. I just shrug my shoulders as Ash waves me over to them. She smiles and says, “So, Asher says that you have a plan to keep him occupied while I’m gone and that if I stay to long you will come get me. What is this plan of yours?”  
I look between the three of them and say, “Well…he is really upset so I told him to make a list of things he would like to do and then we would put them in a jar and call it Asher’s adventure jar, and he could pull one out on the weekend and we could to it. That is as long as it is okay with Callie.”  
Callie smiles at me with tears in her eyes, “I think that is a great idea. Thank you, Lexa.”  
Ash pulls me into a hug and says, “You are amazing, and I love you.”  
I just smirk and say, “I thought everyone knew how amazing I was, but I love you too. Be safe and we will see you soon. Come on Asher, let’s let your mommies say their goodbyes and then we can go home and either play in the pool or play some video games. As a matter of fact, Callie why don’t you and Asher stay with me tonight. I’m sure Clarke is going to want to spend time with her mom and I need some company.”  
Asher looks up and says, “Can we please mom?”  
Callie smiles and says, “I actually think that is a great idea.”


	53. Lexa

On the flight back, I asked if everyone would stay for dinner and then called Patrona and asked if she would set up the grill by the pool and have some hamburgers and hot dogs ready for me to grill. She argued that she didn’t mind cooking and that way I could enjoy my company. In the end she won.  
We all relaxed by the pool while Asher splashed around until dinner was ready. Cree, Bellamy and Octavia joined us for dinner. Callie was sort of out of it and we were all trying to find things to talk about. Abby asks, “Lexa, why don’t you tell Bellamy and I the whole story about how you managed to win this yacht. I know you said you won it in a fight, but I thought that the UFC fight was your only professional fight.”  
I glanced at O and she nods so I ask her, “Have you told Bellamy?”  
Bellamy says, “About fighting in illegal fights? Yeah, she did, and I can’t say that I am thrilled about it, but she said I could come to the next one and check it out.”  
I look at Abby and then tell the story of how I won the tournament and bet Mickey that I could finish all my fights in the first round. Octavia speaks up, “I told her it was a stupid bet, but she didn’t listen. Now after hearing all the stories from everyone, I realize that she doesn’t usually listen to anyone.”  
That gets a laugh out of everyone, even Callie. Callie smirks and says, “Yeah, she is pretty cocky, and I think that she thinks she is invincible. I mean the way she smarted off to those guys in the bar in DC and then how she just jumps in front of bullets. I just hope that it doesn’t catch up with her one day.”  
“Hey, it’s not being cocky if you can back it up. At least that is what Kid Rock says in his song.”  
Everyone laughs except Clarke who says, “I know she worries me with the way she is so nonchalant about putting herself into dangerous situations. I mean don’t get me wrong I know she can handle herself, but it still scares me. Although I do find her cockiness to be a turn on.”  
I about choke on my sip of margarita and turn pink at that comment. We all continue to talk and have a good time until around ten when I can tell Asher is getting tired and Abby says that she should really head home. Clarke says, “I should really be going as well, I have to be at work bright and early in the morning.”  
Even though I had a feeling that Clarke would be going home to stay with her mom, it still made me sad to hear her say it. I guess Abby saw the disappointed look on my face because she says, “Clarke, you don’t have to come with me. You can stay here if you are more comfortable here.”  
Clarke says, “Thanks mom, but I really think I should go with you so that we can catch up. I mean you have been gone for over a year. Besides, I can always come by and see Lexa after work.”  
Abby says, “Whatever you want to do is fine with me, just know that I won’t be upset if you decide you want to spend some or all of your nights with Lexa.”  
I say, “Thanks Abby, it means a lot to know that you trust me with your daughter.”  
Abby replies, “Why would you think otherwise, Lexa?”  
“Uh…uhm…I-I don’t know. I just thought maybe since you know everything about me and well…what I’ve been through and done that you wouldn’t want your daughter to be involved with me. I just thought I may not be good enough for Clarke because I haven’t exactly had a normal life and…people around me tend to get hurt in the crossfire.”  
Clarke looks between me and Abby, “See mom, I told you that you needed to talk to her.”  
Abby looks at me and says, “Alexandria Sahar Trikru, you should know me well enough by now to know that your past doesn’t matter to me. I respect you and know that you are an amazing person who would never intentionally hurt Clarke. From what I have seen so far, you make my daughter extremely happy and have been there for her when she needs you the most.”  
“But what if…what if she gets hurt because of me? I mean she sort of already has been hurt because of me and I don’t want it to ever happen again.”  
Clarke speaks up, “We have talked about this before, it’s not your fault. I love you and I want to be with you and unless you tell me that you don’t feel the same way, we are going to be together. Do you hear me?”  
I smile, “Yes ma’am, I hear you loud and clear. I love you too. Will you call me when you get home so that I know you have made it safely? Oh, and I may have had a security system installed when I had your door repaired. Your temporary code is 2211 but you will need to call the company and set up a new one as soon as you can.”  
Clarke says, “Celio babe, you didn’t have to do that, but thank you. You are amazing and I will call you later.”  
She walks toward me, and I open my arms for her. Her body fits perfectly against mine and I melt into her embrace. She kisses me goodbye and her and Abby head out. I look to Callie and Asher and say, “Alright buddy, let’s you, I and you mom go downstairs and make that adventure jar before you go to bed.”  
He gets up and grabs Callie’s hand and pulls her toward the stairs saying, “Come on mom. Why you so slow.”  
Once we get downstairs, I sit Asher at the desk in my office and give him some paper to write on while I find a jar to put the adventures in. By the time I get back, he has about ten slips of paper folded and ready to put into the jar. Once the jar is full, we take it into his room and put it on his bedside table and Callie tucks him in. I give him a kiss on the forehead and tell him that we will play some video games in the morning before they leave.  
Callie and I walk out of his room and I grab the tequila out of the fridge along with a couple shot glasses and lead her out to the firepit. I pour some shots and then say, “You can have my bed tonight and I will either take the couch or sleep in one of the guest rooms. I know you probably want to be close to him, especially tonight. I just want you to know that you are not alone. I’m here for whatever you or Asher needs.” I pour a couple more shots. “I know this has to be rough on you after everything that has happened in the past, but Ash loves you and Asher more than anything in this world and she will be back this time, I know it in my heart.”  
She starts to cry. Great, I really hate when people cry around me. I never know what to do. I move closer to her and wrap an arm around her, and she leans her head on my shoulder before she says, “It is hard to believe that not long ago, I really resented you and your relationship with Ashley. I could tell she loved you by the way she looked at you and I never thought that she would give up on you, especially for me. Not after the way things happened between us back then and not after I saw the way she looked at you. All I wanted was a chance for her to get to know Asher…I never really thought I had a chance to get her back. I’m sorry for everything that I have said or done to you in the past. You are really an amazing person and I am glad that I have you by my side while Ashley is gone. I don’t know how Asher would have survived without you here.”  
“Callie, I’m not going anywhere. I know things started off rocky for us, but I think that everything worked out the way it was supposed to, and I think that we are in a good place with our relationship now…at least I hope we are. I would do anything for your son and you too for that matter. Also, I promise that if I have to, I will go and bring Ash home. I will not let the government leave her to…well, I won’t let them forget about her. I will bring her home if I have to.”  
She sniffles and then smiles at me, “I know you will. Thank you. I think it is time for me to go to bed. It has been a long day. I will sleep in the guest room; I don’t want to take your bed.”  
“No, I insist. You take my bed.”  
“Okay, but only if you stay on the couch. I will just feel better knowing you are there if Asher needs something.”  
“Sure, no problem. Do you need something to sleep in?”  
“That would be great.”  
I grab her a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. While she gets ready for bed, I make up the couch and then check in on Asher. As I stand there watching him sleep, I can’t help but think how cute he is and how I would like to have one of my own one day. Callie sneaks up behind me and says, “You know you are really good with him.”  
I jump and she laughs. “You scared the shit out of me woman. You are lucky I didn’t punch you. Don’t ever sneak up on me.”  
She just laughs and pats me on the shoulder and walks away. My phone beeps notifying me of a text message. I look at the screen and see it is from Clarke.  
Clarke: We made it home safe and sound. You failed to mention that you had cameras installed and that you had my car window replaced. You know that I don’t expect you to do all of this, right?  
Me: I know, but it makes me feel better. Besides the cameras are only on the outside. Although, I did debate having some installed inside as well, but it just felt like and invasion of privacy to do that. I just want you to feel safe while I’m not with you.  
Clarke: You are beyond amazing and thoughtful. I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you but I’m glad you are mine.  
Me: I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you but I’m glad I was finally able to convince you to give me a chance. I love you, Clarke Griffin.  
Clarke: My next day off isn’t until Monday, um…would you like to go on a date with me then? I mean…if-if you aren’t busy.  
Me: I would love too, but please tell me that I don’t have to wait that long to see you.  
Clarke: I hope not it just depends on work. I will call you on my break tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Ceilo.  
Me: You too, Ya amar. Don’t work too hard, love.


	54. Lexa

The next morning when I wake up, I text Lo, Morrigan, Bellamy, Reed and Jose to meet me at the firepit. Once everyone is here, I say, “I know that all of you know that Ash has been called back by the CIA for a mission, but what you don’t know is that it is an off-book mission. That means that she won’t have any back up from the CIA or the United States if something goes wrong. The reason I’m telling you all this is because if something does go wrong, I will go and get her by myself if I have to, but I was hoping…well I was hoping that you all would be willing to help me if…”  
Bellamy cuts me off, “Lexa you know that I will help anyway I can.”  
“I know you will Blake and I’m quite sure Reed and Jose will also, but I was hoping to convince Lo and Morrigan as well. They both have combat experience, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a combat medic and pilot with us if we have to act.” I look at the two of them and say, “I know it is a lot to ask but if the time comes can I count on the two of you.”  
Morrigan says, “I’m in but how will we know if she needs us and how will we know what is going on?”  
Lo looks at me and says, “I’m in too.”  
I smile at both of them and say, “Thanks, to answer Morrigan’s questions, Ash and I have a contingency plan set up with the help of her boss Julian. I have all the intel that has been collected so far and anything Ash acquires will be emailed to me so that we are kept up to date with what is going on. Ash is also scheduled to check in with me and Julian once a week and if she misses two consecutive check-ins with either of us then we will go get her. Julian has agreed to provide us with the equipment and paperwork needed to get into whatever country she is in, but the rest will be up to us.”  
Bellamy says, “Okay, let’s take a look at what intel has been collected so far, then as time goes on and more comes in, we can begin to form a plan. Until then we probably need to do some training. I think the best type of team training is paint ball. We should get together a couple of times a week and go play on base with some of the enlisted guys so we can learn to work together.”  
“That sounds good. Come into my office and I will show you all the info on the computer.” Everyone follows me and I open the computer Julian gave me and pull up the information. Just as I get it pulled up, my phone rings. When I look at the caller ID, I see that it is Dana from the UFC. I look at the group and say, “I have to take this, but you all take all the time you need to look over everything.”  
I step outside and answer, “Hello Dana.”  
“Hey Stryker, how’s the hand doing?”  
“It’s actually doing great. The cast comes off next week and then I will be good to go. What’s up?”  
“Two things actually. One I wanted to let you know that your fight with Julia earned fight of the night and you earned performance of the night. That makes your payout for the fight $250,000 before we add in your merchandising agreement. I have to say that I am a little upset that I let you negotiate such a high percentage but that is my fault for underestimating you. Any way, you earned $109,268,292 in merchandising. The other thing is I want to sign you for a rematch against Julia in Dubai at the beginning of next month. How does that sound?”  
I chuckle, “Wow, that is a lot of merch. I will need to talk to a couple of people before I can commit for sure to the fight in Dubai, but I think it can be arranged. When do you need my answer?”  
“The sooner the better, but definitely by the end of the week.”  
“Okay, I’ll let you know soon. Thanks, Dana.”  
I go back into the office and everyone looks up at me, “Well, that was Dana, and he wants me to sign for a rematch against Julia at the beginning of the month in Dubai.”  
Bellamy jumps up and grabs me in a bear hug, “Lexa, that is awesome! What did you tell him?”  
“I said that I would have to talk to my people and get back to him but that I thought I would agree to do it as long as everyone is on board. He also gave me my total payout from the last fight and let’s just say that I think we need to go out and celebrate tonight. Morrigan, can you also fly planes or just helicopters?”  
Morrigan looks at me confused, “Um…I can also fly planes. Why?”  
“How would you like to come with me to buy a plane?”  
Everyone looks at me and says in unison, “What?”  
I laugh and say, “Well, I just made $109,518,292 plus all the money I made on Mickey’s fight. I just thought it would be nice to buy a plane so that if we do go to Dubai, we do it in style and then if we do have to rescue Ash, we already have a plane.”  
They all laugh and Morrigan says, “Just let me know when and I will definitely go with you.”  
My phone rings again and it is Abby. I look at everyone and say, “I have to take this, but everyone be ready at seven to go to dinner on me. You all just need to decide where and Bellamy let O know she should come also.”  
I answer the phone, “Hello Abby, what do I owe the pleasure of your call.”  
She laughs, “Someone is in a good mood. I hate to rain on your parade, but I have you an appointment with an attorney friend of mine today at two so that we can discuss your issue with the Collin’s family.”  
“Fine, but will you go with me?”  
“Of course, I will.”  
“Another question, will you be my doctor for my next UFC fight? Clarke doesn’t like treating me. I found that out after she freaked out in the locker room after the last fight.”  
“Um…I didn’t know you had another fight scheduled but sure. When is it?”  
“The beginning of next month in Dubai but I haven’t signed the contract yet because I wanted to okay it with Clarke first.”  
“It’s nice that you want to include her on your decisions, but you don’t have to ask her permission, you know, that right?”  
“Oh…well…um, I just thought that since we are in a relationship that I should let her have a say in what I do.”  
“Lexa, it is nice that you think of others and what they want but you also need to think about yourself first sometimes. If this is something that you want to do then you should do it regardless of what Clarke wants. You are free now and you need to learn to be your own person and do what’s right for you. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t ever consult with Clarke or others but sometimes you need to make a decision for yourself. Do you understand what I mean?”  
“Yes, I think so. I have another question; do you think Clarke would get mad if I sent her flowers to work asking her to be my date to the fights in Dubai?”  
I hear Abby laughing, “I forget how romantic you are. I think she might turn a little red but I think she would be okay with it.”  
“I…well, I-I wasn’t sure she had told anyone outside our group about us. So, I was thinking that I would sign the card Lex in case she didn’t want anyone to know she was dating another woman.”  
“I’m not sure what she has told anyone, but I think it is cute that you are worried about what she thinks. Do what feels right to you and I will pick you up at Amelia’s at one for the appointment.”  
“Okay, see you then. Thanks Abby.”  
When we hang up, I call the first florist that comes up on google and order a dozen roses and a card that reads, ‘Ya amar, would you do me the honor of being my date for the UFC fight in Dubai in three weeks? Love, Ceilo.’ The girl said that they would be delivered within the hour to the hospital. Now all there is to do is wait and do research on which plane to buy.


	55. Lexa/Clarke

After I set up the flower delivery, I go into the office and send Julian an email containing everyone’s names so that he can get the paperwork set up. I also inform him of Jose’s issue with his Brazilian citizenship. He says that he will look into it and see what he can do. Just as I log out of the computer, I get yet another phone call. This time it is the one I have been waiting on, Clarke.  
I answer, “Hello beautiful!”  
“Hello yourself. I can’t believe you sent flowers to me at work…”  
I interrupt her, “I’m sorry if it bothers you…I-I didn’t sign my name so that no one would know it was me or another woman. I-I just wanted…”  
I can hear her laughing so I stop talking. She says, “Babe, it’s fine. I’m just not used to someone caring enough to well, do something like this. I do have a question about the card though. What do you mean by, being your date to the UFC fight in Dubai?”  
“Well…um, Dana called today to give me my final payout numbers for the fight and then he asked me if I would be up for a rematch against Julia at fight night in Dubai in a couple of weeks. So, I was wondering if you would be my date this time and not my doctor? Of course, that is contingent on if you say it is okay for me to take the fight. I haven’t given a final answer yet because I wanted to talk to you first. So…”  
“Celio, thank you for asking me but you don’t have to okay all your decisions with me. I don’t want you to feel like you have to ask me for permission to do things. I want you to live your life the way you want to. I would just like to be included in your life as your partner. I would love to be your date to the fight. I just need to know the dates so that I can ask off from work.”  
“Awesome, I will call Dana back and find out the exact dates and let you know. Bellamy, O, Jose, Reed, Lo, Morrigan and I are going out to celebrate tonight. Do you think you can meet up with us after work?”  
“I don’t know. I’ve been slammed here but I will text you when I get off. I love you, Celio.”  
“I love you too, Ya amar.”  
I decide to go ahead and call Dana back and let him know that I will accept the fight. He answers, “Hey Stryker, I didn’t expect to hear from you this quickly.”  
“Well, I talked with everyone and I will accept the fight. I just need to know the details of what I need to do.”  
He chuckles, “I will need you to come to Vegas week after next for another physical to make sure your hand has healed and then be in Dubai the week of the fight August 1-7. There will be a couple of fan events that you will be required to attend but other than that you are free to explore on your own.”  
“Alright, I’ll see you week after next.”  
At the meeting with the attorney, Glenn Cantrell, said that with all the evidence and videos that we had it should be an open and shut case if it were to go to trial. The only thing is that since he is the mayor it will be a high-profile case and the rape will become public.  
I reply, “No, I don’t want Clarke to have to go through that. If it comes down to that, I will pay or do whatever as long as the rape isn’t made public.”  
Mr. Cantrell says, “They are suing you for emotional distress causing PTSD and he is going to try filing charges for assault and battery with intent to kill along with threatening to kill him. The evidence is for protective self defense against the assault and battery, but he may be able to get charges filed against you for threatening Finn’s life because the threat was capture in the video. If you are charged you could spend between one to five years in jail.”  
Abby says, “How is that possible when Finn raped my daughter? All Lexa did was protect her and let him know what would happen if he tried anything else. If it comes down to it, we will go to trial. Lexa you are not going to jail.”  
“No Abby, I would rather go to jail that have Clarke have to go public with being raped by that asshole. I will not let him hurt her ever again even if it means going to jail.”  
He says, “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. I will reach out to his people and see what they have to say.”  
Abby replies, “Fine, but I told him he needed to decide what he wanted to do by the end of the week, or we were going to the press.”  
Mr. Cantrell says, “Abby you can’t go around making threats like that. It will only make things worse.”  
I say, “Mr. Cantrell, I’m willing to pay whatever is necessary to keep this from going to trial on the condition that Finn signs a nondisclosure agreement about the payout and the rape, and he is required to go to rehab for anger management and be required to register as a sex offender. I just want this to go away.”  
He says, “I understand and will let you know what I find out after speaking with their attorney.”  
“Thank you.”  
On the ride back, I ask Abby if she would take a look at the information on the computer about my blood work. She agrees and spends the next couple of hours reading through it.  
Clarke  
Today has been hectic! The ER is a mad house and people are simply crazy. At least that is the conclusion that I have come to today. Around noon, I get called to the nurse’s station because I have a delivery. I have no idea who or what would be delivered to me at work. When I get to the desk, there is a bouquet of a dozen red roses with a card with my name on it. I can feel my cheeks turning pink as everyone is looking at me.  
One of the nurses that I have become pretty close with, Lilian, says, “Aww, how sweet what’s the occasion? Are they from your boyfriend? What’s his name Finn?”  
I reply, “They better not be from him! I broke up with him over a month ago because he was caught cheating. Besides, he never sent me flowers before.”  
One of the other nurses grabs the card off the flowers and reads it. The card reads, Ya amar, would you do me the honor of being my date for the UFC fight in Dubai in three weeks? Love, Ceilo.  
Lilian and the other nurses look at me and say, “Who is Ceilo and what does Ya amar mean?”  
I can feel my whole face turn red now as I answer, “Why are you all so interested in my love life all of a sudden? Ya amar is Arabic for my moon.”  
Lilian replies, “It isn’t often that flowers are delivered to an ER for anyone other than a patient and we are all romantics at heart so of course we are going to be interested. Now are you going to tell us who the new guy is?”  
“No, not yet. It is still very new, and I can’t believe they sent flowers.” I’m not sure why I said they instead of she but it just came out that way. I’m not embarrassed to be dating Lexa it’s just well I’ve never dated another woman, and this is my place of work. I don’t know! I say, “Excuse me while I go and make a call.”  
I find it cute how Lexa was rambling about the flowers and the find the fact that she wanted permission to fight from me adorable. On top of that, I can’t believe that we are going to Dubai. She also asks me to go out with them tonight after work but I’m already feeling so tired and I don’t know why. My phone rings and when I look at the screen, I see that it is my mom calling me.   
I answer, “Hey mom, what’s up?”  
“Hey, I just left Lexa’s after our meeting with Glenn Cantrell the attorney and I just thought you should know what he said.”  
“Okay, is it that bad?”  
“Well, Lexa is determined to keep you and the rape out of the public. Glenn thinks it should be an open and shut case if it goes to trial. The only problem is Lexa doesn’t want it to go to trial because that would make the rape public and she doesn’t want you to have to go through that. Glenn said that he could probably get everything dropped outside of a trial except the fact that Lexa threatening to kill Finn. If she is convicted, she could serve one to five years in jail.”  
“What? No, I won’t let her go to jail. I will be fine if we have to go to trial. I will call her.”  
“Glenn is going to reach out to Finn’s attorney and test the waters. Lexa gave him an alternative that she is comfortable with if they will go for it, she wouldn’t be charged. Honey, I really feel like she will do anything to keep you safe and that includes jail time.”  
“I know mom, that’s what I’m afraid of. What was her offer?”   
“She said she is willing to pay whatever is necessary to keep this from going to trial on the condition that Finn signs a nondisclosure agreement about the payout and the rape, and he is required to go to rehab for anger management and be required to register as a sex offender.”  
“Thanks for calling mom. I will talk to her.”  
I can’t believe this crap. As much as I don’t want people to know what happened to me, I will not let her go to jail in order to keep it a secret. I will call her after my shift and talk to her but right now I really need to get back to work.


	56. Lexa

It was after eleven pm before my phone rang. We were out at some hole in the wall bar that Bellamy brought us to. Apparently, it is one of Echo’s favorite bars and she was meeting us. Bellamy had already asked her if she would be willing to join the team if we needed to go get Ash and she had agreed.  
I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Clarke. “Hello beautiful, are you just getting off?”  
“Hey babe, yeah. It was an extremely long day. I’m sorry but I think I’m just going home to crash.”  
“Oh, okay. I can come by and see you if you want. I miss you.”  
“I miss you too, but I just need to sleep. Although I would like to talk to you soon about the meeting with Mr. Cantrell.”  
“Sure, what do you want to know?”  
“Mom has already told me everything. I just want to tell you that I don’t want you going to jail just to keep the rape out of the public. I can deal with people knowing about it better than I can deal with you being in jail.”  
“It’s fine, we don’t have to worry about that right now. Let’s just wait and see if the attorneys can work it out before we worry. Do you think you can get a day off week after next to go to Vegas with me for the physical and then can you take off August 1-7 to go to Dubai?”  
“I’m not sure but I will ask first thing tomorrow and let you know. Are you having fun tonight?”  
“I mean I guess but it would be more fun if you were here. I understand though. Will I get to see you tomorrow?”  
“I hope so, but I will let you know. I’ll call you on break. I love you!”  
“I love you too, sleep well.”  
I head back into the bar after I hang up with Clarke and Octavia says, “Why the long face?”  
“Clarke’s not coming. She just got off work and said she was tired after a long day and she just wanted to go to bed. I guess, I’m just disappointed because I was looking forward to seeing her tonight. We have just been so busy since we finally started our relationship and I just want to spend some time with her.”  
O says, “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but she is always working. She has been out more with us since you got here than she has probably in the last year but now her last year of residence is kicking into high gear so you may want to get used to her working a lot.”  
“Great. I wonder if she would consider not working. No, that would be selfish of me. She has worked hard to get where she is, and it is what she wants so I will just have to learn to be supportive. Even if I don’t like not being able to see her as much.”  
Bellamy speaks up, “Yeah, I don’t think she would like being told what to do.”  
“Nope, because that was exactly what Finn used to do. Oh well, we are here to celebrate so let’s get to drinking.”  
I wake up late the next morning to a text from Mickey.  
Mickey: How would you feel about fighting Keya Bagdi?  
Me: When and how much? Oh, and who is that?  
Mickey: You fought him in the first fight of the tournament. He has been talking shit, saying you got lucky with that punch.  
Me: Oh, I remember him. He called me a dyke and said he was going to make me tap out. I will definitely take that fight. When and how much?  
Mickey: Sloan said you have a broken hand, when will you be ready?  
Me: I can beat that chump with one hand, but I should wait until next week when the cast is off.  
Mickey: Alright, Saturday after next at 8 pm. $100,000 payout.  
Me: What about if I take him out in the first round?  
Mickey: You kill me kid. As much as he has been talking, I’ll make it $500,000 if you can end it in the first minute of the round and $250,000 if you end it in the first round.  
Me: Deal, see you then.  
I send a group text to the crew, O and Bellamy saying to meet me at the training ring so that we can figure out a training schedule. Once it is said and done the schedule looks like:  
5am yoga Morrigan 10am wrestling Blake 4pm weights O  
6am jujutsu Stefania 11am boxing Reed 5pm wrestling Jan  
7am capoeira Jose 12pm kickboxing Logan 6pm boxing Nikki  
This will be my training schedule on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, Friday’s, and Sunday’s unless Clarke is off and then I will switch the days around to accommodate her days off and I plan on spending Saturday’s with Asher and his adventure jar. Speaking of Asher, I need to call Callie and check in with her and ask if they can go to the fights in Dubai.  
I text Callie. Me: So, Dana text and offered me another UFC fight the week of August 1 in Dubai. Could you and Asher come?  
It takes her a few minutes to respond.  
Callie: Seriously?  
Me: Yep, I will take care of everything. All you have to do is show up. You and Asher will be on summer break, right?  
Callie: Yeah, but are you sure you want us to come?  
Me: Are you kidding? Of course, I want you all to come. How are you both doing?  
Callie: We are hanging in there, but I think this is just what Asher needs to look forward too. Are you free for dinner tonight? You can come over and we can tell him together.  
Me: Sure, what time?  
Callie: How about 6 and bring Clarke.  
Me: I will see if she is available. She’s been working nonstop. See you tonight. Can I bring anything?  
Callie: Nope. See you tonight.  
It is after 3 before I hear from Clarke and it is just a short conversation by text. Basically, telling me she has to work until late and that she loves me and hopes to see me soon. I hope she isn’t avoiding me, and it really is work that is keeping her away. I can’t help but worry because it took me so long to get her to give me a chance and then we finally had sex and now she has gone MIA at work. I thought she enjoyed it but what if she changed her mind. What if she is using work to avoid me? I know O said she has always put work first but…Lex get out of your head and just trust her.  
Dinner with Callie and Asher cheered me up. Callie also agreed that her and Asher would fly to Vegas with me next week for the physical. Asher is super excited about going to Dubai for the fight and Callie assures me that Clarke isn’t avoiding me that she is just working. That may be true, but I think that I will go to the hospital tomorrow and ask to see her to get these stitches out and see if she will go ahead and take off this cast so that I can get back to training.


	57. Clarke/Lexa

It feels like it has been weeks since I saw Lexa, but it has actually only been three days. Work has been absolutely crazy, and I can’t wait until Sunday night so that I can spend the night with her and take her on a date. I just hope that she doesn’t think that I am avoiding her. It is just that work has been long crazy days and by the time I get off, I’m so tired that I go home and fall into bed.  
Around noon, I am paged to the ER nurses’ station and told that I have a patient in room 22 that asked for me by name. I ask, “Did the patient give a name?”  
Lilian says, “No, she just asked for you and I told her she may have to wait awhile because you were busy, but she said she would wait. Do you want me to come with you?”  
“Um, sure. If she does need an x-ray, then you can take her down to radiology.”  
Lilian says, “Sure thing.”  
We walk down the hall to room 22 and I follow Lilian in while looking down at my tablet reviewing some charts. I hear Lilian say, “My name is Lilian. I will be your nurse, and this is Dr. Griffin.”  
As I am finishing making a note in the chart, I’m reviewing I hear, “It’s nice to meet you Lilian. Dr. Griffin.”  
When I hear the voice, I know exactly who it is, and my stomach does summersaults. I look up and smile and she is smirking at me. I start to try and play it cool but then I say fuck it and I take two quick steps and take her face in my hands and crash my lips to hers. It was just supposed to be a quick I miss you kiss but it quickly deepened into a passionate one. Lexa grabbed my hips and pulled me into her, and time stood still, until there is a clearing of a throat. It is at that point that I remember I’m at work and Lilian is in the room.  
I pull away and smile at Lexa, then turn to Lilian and say, “Lilian, I would like you to meet Lexa, my girlfriend.”  
Lilian smiles and says, “So, is this who sent you those beautiful flowers earlier this week?”  
I can feel my cheeks turning red, “The very one. Lexa what are you doing here?”  
“Well…um…I was missing my girlfriend something fierce and a friend of mine told me that I might find her working here as a doctor. So, I thought to myself what can I do to have an excuse to see this hot doctor and all I could come up with is asking for an x-ray of my hand and the fact that these stitches need to come out.”  
Lilian chuckles as Clarke says, “You know you could have just asked to see me. You don’t need an excuse to stop by and see me.”  
She says, “Oh…well, I didn’t know if that were something you would want me to do. I mean…uh…I didn’t know if you wanted people at your work to know about me or not.”  
“You are an idiot. Do you know that? I mean a cute idiot but still an idiot. Do you not remember going on national TV and introducing me as your girlfriend?”  
“Well, yeah but that doesn’t mean the people you work with were watching. I just didn’t want to do anything to upset you, but I wanted to see you, so this was what I came up with. I mean I can leave and just get Lo to take out the stitches but…”  
I stop her rambling by kissing her again. I then look at Lilian and say, “Can you remove her stitches and then take her to x-ray?”  
Lilian smiles and says, “Sure thing doc. Just so you know, I don’t think anyone around here knows otherwise, they would have already been hounding you about it especially after the flower delivery. Not because you are…um…dating a woman but just because everyone around here likes to gossip. I will keep quiet about it.”  
I just shake my head, “No need to keep quiet. I’m sure you will be seeing more of Lexa now that she knows that it is okay to stop by. I’m sure she will be stopping by frequently probably with food if I had to guess. Celio, I will see you after your x-ray. Please be nice to Lilian.” I give her another quick kiss and walk out of the room.  
I can’t believe she thought she had to make up an excuse to come see me, but then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. She is thoughtful and would never want to do something to upset me. I just wish she didn’t think that I was embarrassed by her or whatever. I knew that I was missing her but now that I have seen her…well I don’t want to let her leave. I want to be near her.  
Lexa  
When Clarke walks into the exam room, she has a nurse with her. I decide to play it cool just in case she doesn’t want anyone to know who I am. She is looking down at her tablet doing something as the nurse introduces herself to me. I say, “It’s nice to meet you Lilian. Doc.”  
As soon as I speak, Clarke looks up at me as I’m smirking at her. Her face breaks out into a huge smile. She quickly crosses the room and crashes her lips to mine, answering the question of if it is okay that I’m here. God, how I missed her the past couple of days! The moment is broken by Lilian clearing her throat. Clarke introduces me as her girlfriend and my heart beats a little faster because it makes me realize that she hasn’t been avoiding me.  
Lilian makes quick work of my stitches while asking me, “So, what happened to your face and hand? How did you meet Clarke?”  
I couldn’t help but laugh but I answered her questions. “I had a UFC fight, and these are the result of that, but I won and that is all that matters. I met Clarke through a friend.”  
Lilian goes on to say that she never liked Finn because he only came around when he needed something from Clarke, like insisting she go to dinner with him and some big wig his father knew or something like that. She said he never sent her flowers just because.  
“Well…I-I want to treat her right, so you should expect more flowers and food deliveries. I care for her a lot and I want to make sure she always knows that I am thinking of her.”  
About a half hour later, I’m waiting in the exam room for the results of my x-ray. When Clarke finally came in, she looked extremely tired but had a smile on her face. “Well, it looks like your hand is healed and I can take off the cast.”  
“That’s great, I can get back to training. Baby, I’m worried about you though. You look tired and I miss holding you at night. You know if you were to stay with me, it could only be to sleep.” She takes my left hand and starts the process of taking the cast off. “Are you eating, while you are working?”  
“Some, but probably not like I should. I just don’t have the time to go to the cafeteria and get the food and eat it. I’m okay though, I promise. I’m excited about our date and if it’s okay with you, I will come over after work on Sunday and stay the night.”  
“You never have to ask to come over. If it were up to me, you would stay with me all the time. Were you able to get the days off for Vegas and the fight?”  
“I was able to get off for the week of the fight but unfortunately I can’t get the day off to go to Vegas.”  
“Oh, alright. That’s fine, at least we get to spend the week together in Dubai.”  
She finishes taking off my cast and then gets up and stands between my legs. She wraps me in a hug and just snuggles into my neck. I love the feeling of just holding her close like this and do so until she pulls away. When she does, I ask, “Are you sure that you are okay?”  
“Yes, I just didn’t realize how much I missed seeing you until well, I saw you. Now I don’t want to let you go but I have to get back to work.”  
“I miss you too, Ya amar.” I pull her in for a deep kiss that leaves us both breathless. “I will see you Sunday unless you change your mind and decide to come over before. I love you and thanks for taking care of me.”  
“I love you too and I will always take care of you. Please remember you don’t have to be in need of medical assistance to stop by and see me. Just realize I may not always have a lot of time if you do drop by. I will send Lilian in to get you discharged. I will see you soon.” With that she gives me a peck on the cheek and is out the door.  
When Lilian comes in, I ask her, “Do you always work with Clarke?”  
She replies, “Most of the time why?”  
“I’m worried about her and she says she doesn’t have time to eat. I thought if you worked with her that maybe you would be willing to make sure she takes the time to eat if I send over food. I would be willing to send food for you as well.”  
“I think I can handle that for you, Lexa. We usually slow down somewhat around oneish.”  
“Great, what do you like to eat?”  
“You can just send whatever Clarke is having. I’m glad she has you looking out for her.”  
“Thanks, since it is past lunch already. I will order dinner and have it delivered around five. Is that good?”  
“That’s fine. I hope to be seeing you again sometime.”


	58. Lexa/Clarke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow the chapters were mixed up and one was posted twice. If you read chapter 54-current before 8pm EST on Feb. 10, 2021, please go back and look again. I think that I have fixed the issue. Thanks for those of you who pointed out the duplicate chapter. I hope you are enjoying the story. After this chapter, I will probably start updating on the weekends or Mondays. I have so many ideas but if I post the chapters as I go I find that I usually find things that need to be changed so I'm going to keep them unposted for a few days to make sure I like them first. Thanks for reading.

It is Saturday morning, and I am waiting in Asher’s room for him and Callie to get here so that we can start our first adventure. I’m playing a video game to pass the time but I’m really just thinking about Clarke and how I haven’t seen her since my trip to the ER although I have been having her and Lilian food delivered every day. I’m looking forward to spending time with Asher today, but I am really excited about tomorrow night and my date on Monday even though I have no idea what Clarke has planned.  
About 11 I hear a knock on the door and then the pitter patter of little feet running my way. After he tackles me, I say, “Are you ready to pull out our adventure for the day?”  
“Yes, what is it?”  
“I don’t know you have to pull out a piece of paper from your adventure jar. Here it is, just reach in and pull out one piece of paper.”  
He does and then hands it to me. I open it and read, “Golden Gate Bridge bike ride and Bay area discovery center.” I have no idea about any of these things, but I look a Callie and she says, “That sounds like fun. Can we take one of the small boats instead of driving it will be much faster.”  
I smile and say, “Of course, let’s stop by the kitchen and get the lunches Patrona made for us and then we can be on our way. Asher grab your UFC backpack and let’s go.”  
We spend the day exploring the Golden Gate Bridge on bicycles before having lunch in Muirr Woods and then spend the rest of the day letting Asher enjoy himself playing in the discovery center. We got back on the Untouchable around six and had a nice dinner before Callie said it was time for them to leave. Asher wanted to stay but Callie said that they had plans tomorrow with Amelia, so he needed to get a good night’s rest.  
Clarke  
I can’t believe it is finally Sunday. Now I just have to make it through the day and then I get to see Lexa. I have our date all planned out. I know she likes to throw knives, so I found this place that teaches you to throw axes and then you can rent a lane by the hour. It also has a bar and bar food to snack on. After axe throwing, I thought we would go see the new Wonder Women movie and then go to dinner. I hope she likes everything. I’m nervous because I have never planned a date before or really had any say so in what I did on one.  
Like clockwork at one, I am called to the nurses’ station for my lunch delivery. Ever since Lexa came to visit the ER earlier this week and found out I hadn’t been eating she took it upon herself to have lunch delivered for me and Lilian. When I get there today, there are a dozen roses with a card that reads, ‘I can’t wait to see you tonight! Love Lexa’ and of course there are two cheesesteak sandwiches with fries. Lilian walks up and says, “Aww…Lexa is so sweet. What do we have for lunch today?”  
I shake my head, “Cheesesteak sandwiches and fries, but I don’t have time to eat because I want to get out of here on time.”  
Her reply is, “It will only take you at most 15 minutes to eat so let’s go to the break room and eat. You know that I have to make sure you eat, or I don’t get lunch anymore. I can’t go back to the cafeteria food after this so eat up.”  
I just laugh and follow her to the break room to eat. “You know, maybe I shouldn’t have introduced you to Lexa. You seem to like her an awfully lot, should I be jealous?”  
“Nope, I just enjoy the food! Although I do think that she is good for you. You need someone looking out for you while you try and save the world.”  
“Yes, she is an amazing woman, and I don’t know what I would do without her.”  
Finally, my shift is over! I send Lexa a text,  
Me: I am on my way. See you in twenty.  
Lexa: I will be waiting on the beach for you.  
Lexa  
I get a text from Clarke letting me know that she will be here in twenty minutes. I double check to make sure I have everything ready before heading down to the boat tender to go pick her up from the beach. I look around to do a last-minute check. I have a table for two set up by the fire pit with a bottle of wine chilling in ice. I have a white rose laid across her dinner plate and the music play list ready to go. Patrona will have the food severed once we arrive. Everything looks great, all that is left is to go get my girl.  
I take the tender to the beach and wait. I’m dressed in a pair of black slacks with a white button up shirt on with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. I even have on a black tie and my doc martin boots. I see her walking down the pathway and my heart starts to beat faster. Even though she is still in her scrubs, she looks amazing to me. Once her feet hit the sand, I start to walk towards her at a quick pace. I hold my arms out and she melts into my hug.   
She pulls away and says, “Ceilo, you look amazing, but I feel underdressed. I thought we were just going to chill tonight.”  
“We are and you look good to me. I just wanted to dress up for you since it seems like forever since I saw you last. Now let’s go, dinner is waiting.”  
“I swear you are trying to fatten me up with all this food.”  
“Nope, I just want you to be healthy and not look tired all the time. If you don’t fuel your body, you will get rundown and then possibly become sick. You’re a doctor, you should know this.”  
Once we are on the boat, I send a quick text to Patrona to let her know we are on our way down and she can bring the food on out. I lead Clarke out onto the deck to the table and pulled out he chair as I start the music playing softly. She looked around in surprise and then warm lips brushed lightly against mine. I tremble under the possessive hold of Clarke’s hands as they grip my hips and pulls me closer. We are breast to breast as our mouths mold together. My knees buckle under the power of her kiss and I have to wrap my arms tight around her neck to steady myself.  
Her fingers run through my hair and hold my head in place. To my surprise the pace remains slow and innocent, savoring this kiss after so many days without, our tongues hold a steady slow dance before we have to pull away breathless. I stare into her dark green eyes and smile before I say, “Damn, I have missed you and doing that.”  
She smiles and takes her seat just as Patrona arrives with our dinner salads. As we eat, we enjoy each other’s company, and we talk about our weeks. I ask her what she has planned for tomorrow, but she says that I will have to wait and see. After dinner, I can see how tired she is, so I suggest we go relax in the sauna for a bit before bed.  
After relaxing for around a half hour in the sauna, Clarke falls asleep. I hate seeing her so tired, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. Instead of waking her up, I pick her up and carry her upstairs to the bedroom. I sit her on the couch while I run a hot bath for her. Once the bath is ready, I carry her into the bathroom and step into the tub placing her between my legs so that I can make sure she doesn’t go under. I slowly wet her hair and then massage shampoo into her hair which elicits a moan from her.  
I’m not trying to arouse her; I’m just trying to take care of her. I rinse her hair and then massage in the conditioner before beginning to wash her body. I soap up a rag and slowly begin to wash her starting with her arms and moving down to circle her breast with the soapy rag. She flinches at the touch and startles me.  
I quickly say, “I’m sorry, did I hurt you? I-I was just trying to get you clean before putting you to bed. That’s-that’s all, I promise.”  
“What? How-how did I end up…babe, it’s fine. I’m sorry, did I fall asleep?”  
“Uh…um…yeah, in the sauna. I just didn’t want you to go to bed sweaty, so I was going to give you a bath before putting you to bed. Then when I-I touched your…well when I touched your breast with the soapy rag, you jumped like I had hurt you and scared the shit out of me. I-I’m sorry if I overstepped but I promise I just wanted you to relax and rest. I…”  
“Ceilo, it’s fine. It is actually extremely sweet of you to take care of me like this. I’m sorry if I scared you. I’m not sure what happened actually but…thank you. Is there conditioner in my hair?”  
“Well, yeah. I already washed your hair, so I put the conditioner in while I was washing you. Would you like to finish washing yourself or would you like me to continue?”  
“By all means continue.” She says with a smile. “I could get used to this kind of treatment.”  
“It could be a nightly ritual if you want it to be.” I continued to wash her and again she flinches when I wash her breast. When I finish washing her, I rinse the conditioner out of her hair, and she got out and I quickly wash myself. After we were both dry, I hand her a bath robe that I had bought her and put on a matching one. “I hope you don’t mind if we match.”  
She laughed, “Not at all. Hey, thank you for everything. I’m sorry that I fell asleep on you. It’s just work has been exhausting this week and…”  
I cut her off with a kiss. “Baby, it’s fine. I completely understand. Let’s go to bed. I just want to hold you, if-if that is okay. I want you to sleep as long as you like, okay. We can go on a date anytime. I just want you to rest.”  
“Nope, but we don’t have to be anywhere until noon. I love you.”  
“I love too. Now get some rest, please.” I send a quick text to Patronia asking for breakfast in bed around 11.  
Clarke  
The last thing I remember is laying in the sauna with my head in Lexa’s lap while she ran her fingers through my hair. When I am startled awake, I’m in the tub with her and she has washed my hair and has conditioner in it. As soon as I flinch, she starts stuttering about how she was only trying to get me clean before putting me to bed and she hopes that she didn’t overstep. I just smile at her. She is adorable when she is unsure of herself, which I have found is usually around me.  
I know she is new to relationships, but I really wish she would relax and not worry when she is around me. I think she is scared to be herself because of everything that I have been through. I really need to talk to her about it because I think it makes me more uncomfortable knowing she is holding back because of Finn.  
I interrupt her rambling and tell her everything is fine. Although, I don’t know why my boobs are so sensitive. Maybe I’m getting ready to start my period, wouldn’t that be great with tomorrow being my only day off and I was hoping to spend it with Lexa. When she finishes giving me a bath which is wonderful, I decide I need to talk to her about being scared of hurting me.  
“Hey babe, can I ask you something?”  
“Sure, anything.”  
“Why do you second guess yourself with me?”  
“Huh? What do you mean?”  
“Well, for instance, just now. Why did you think that I would be mad that you were bathing me?”  
“Um…I just don’t want you to feel like I am pressuring you or doing something without your consent. After everything you have been through with Finn…I just don’t want to hurt you or trigger you.”  
“Trigger me?”  
“It’s something that my therapist explained to me. He said that somethings might trigger emotions that cause me to act out in a way that a normal person wouldn’t. Like if someone were to sneak up behind me at a club and grab me, I may instinctively punch the person. Where a normal person would just be startled. I don’t know if I’m making sense to you or not, am I?”  
“I think so. What you are saying is that you were afraid that because you didn’t have my permission to bath me that when I jumped when you touched my breast, you thought you might have triggered a response because of Finn rapping me. You thought that I would think you were forcing me to do something that I didn’t consent to. Is that it?”  
“Yeah, I would never…”  
I lean in and kiss her, “Sweetie, I know you would never do anything to hurt me or force me to do anything I don’t want to do. But it does bother me that you are afraid to be yourself around me. It’s like you are scared of me, like I’m broken, and you are scared you will break me more.”  
She grabs my face in her hands and looks me dead in the eyes, “Clarke, you are not broken. He did not break you and I am sorry that I make you feel like this. From now on I will be myself completely but only if you promise to let me know if I say or do anything that makes you uncomfortable. We need to communicate about what we feel and what we need so that things like this don’t happen. I also need you to know that you can talk to me about anything, even what happened with Finn. Remember, I have been through it as well and I am here for you. I need you to know that.”  
I grab her hips and pull her in close and capture her lips in mine for a long slow passionate kiss. When I pull away her face is a flushed pink color. She smiles and says, “Now I need you to get some rest please. You look exhausted.


	59. Clarke

Sunday morning, I woke up early with Clarke draped across me snoring softly. She looks so peaceful I don’t want to move for fear of waking her and she needs her sleep. Instead, I just lay here and run my fingers through her hair until I fall back asleep. The next time I wake up it is because there is a knock on the door. I glance at my watch and see that it is 11 am, which means that was Patronia dropping off breakfast.

I slowly extricate myself from underneath Clarke and go to the door. Patronia has left the food tray right outside the door. I pick it up and bring it into the bedroom. I hate to wake her, but she was adamant about going on this date today even though I told her we could postpone it so that she could rest. While I stood there trying to decide if I should wake her, her eyes fluttered and then opened slowly.

“Do I smell bacon?” she says through half opened eyes.

I chuckle, “Maybe, and French toast with strawberries. Do you want to possible sit up and eat or would you rather go back to sleep?”

“What time is it?”

“It’s 11.”

“Crap, we need to get ready and go!”

“Slow down, we have time. We can take the Fireblade. Sit up and eat and then we can get dressed and head out. What should I wear?” I sit the tray of food in front of her and then climb back into bed beside her. I take one of the French toast sticks and dip it in the syrup and feed it to her.

“Mm, this is good. Just dress casually, but first finish feeding me.”

Once breakfast is finished, we get dressed and then head out on my motorcycle. I love the feel of Clarke on the back of my bike with her arms wrapped tightly around me. As we rode, she gave me turn by turn directions. We finally arrived in front of a building that looked from the outside like a metal building with a warehouse attached. When we walked in there was a nice little sitting area with a check-in desk that was sort of like a hotel. Clarke checked us in and then we followed the guy, who introduced himself as Caden O’ Sceallain. He had an Irish accent and the pale skin and red hair to match.

Caden led us up through a rustic looking bar decked out with lots of wood paneling. As we walked through, I notice that there was a nice outdoor area with tables and a firepit along with some cornhole boards set up. When we make it to the back of the building there are high top bars lining a bar area but to the left are lanes fenced in with chain-link fence and wood with targets at one in. I turn to Clarke and ask, “What is this place?”

Caden said, “Welcome to Timber Axe throwing. Have either one of you ever thrown axes before?”

Clarke answered, “No, but Lexa is really good at knife throwing. That is the reason I decided to bring her. I thought if she could throw a knife, she should be good at this also.”

Caden smirked, “That’s probably true but there are a few differences. Don’t worry though, I will give you a demonstration and help you out until you get the hand of it. So, Lexa where did you learn to throw knives?”

“Afghanistan.”

“Oh, and just how good are you? Can you throw from this distance and hit the target at the end of the lane here?”

I don’t voice and answer. Instead in one fluid movement, I pull a knife from the belt sheath and let it fly. Hitting the bullseye in the dead center and then just look at him.

He looks at the knife and then me and starts to stutter, “H-How did you do that and where did you have the knife. I-I didn’t even see you draw it or aim.”

Clarke says, “I told you she was good. Now how about you explain the axe throwing so we can get started.”

Caden spends about fifteen minutes explaining how to properly throw the axe and then he tells us if we have any questions to let him know. He went on to say that we had the lane for an hour, but it would be getting busy soon because they had a regular group that would be here shortly and sometimes, they get a little obnoxious.

After he walked away, I look at Clarke and say, “This is awesome! How did you find this place? I didn’t even know that this sort of place existed. Thank you.” I lean in and give her a kiss on the cheek. We throw for about fifteen minutes before I really get the hang of it, but then I was money in the bank. Clarke on the other hand, managed to at least get the axe to go into the wood. I could tell she was getting frustrated, so I said, “Why don’t we take a quick break and grab a drink and maybe some fried pickles or cheese sticks.”

She huffed and said, “Fine, I want fried pickles and a water. No make that a glass of wine.”

I gave her a smirk and said, “Babe, you will get the hang of it. I just have years of practice with knives, so it comes easier to me. I’ll be right back.” I go to the bar and place an order for the pickles and then order two shots of tequila, a glass of wine and two bottle waters. The barkeep pours the drinks and then says he will bring the food over when it is ready.

I grab the drinks and head back to Clarke. I hand her a shot and just before she drinks it, she gags and says that the smell is making her sick. I look at her with concern and ask, “Are you okay? Do we need to go?”

She takes the bottle of water and drinks it before she says, “No, I’m fine. For some reason, the smell of the tequila isn’t agreeing with me today but otherwise I feel fine.”

“Are you sure.”

She chuckles, “Yes Ceilo, now help me figure out what I’m doing wrong.”

Soon, Clarke is getting the hang of it and is actually hitting the target and scoring points. It is so cute how excited she gets when she has a good throw. She even does a little happy dance when she gets close to the bullseye. The pickles come out and we sit down to enjoy them, and she asks, “Are you having a good time?”

“Yes, this is amazing. I love trying new things, especially ones involving weapons. Honestly, I would enjoy anything as long as you were with me. Caden wasn’t joking about this place getting busy though.” 

As we finished up with our food, the door opened and about twenty people walked in and headed straight back to the lanes and proceed to spread out and warm up. When I turned around from throwing the trash out, I noticed that a couple of guys had moved into our lane and began throwing. I looked at my watch and we still had about twenty minutes left on our reservation.

I walked over to the lane and said, “Excuse me, we still have this lane reserved for about twenty minutes. Do you mind moving to a different lane, maybe with some of your friends?”

The bigger guy turned and looked at me like I was crazy. He was about my height with large muscles, like a body builder. He had auburn hair and grey eyes. He said, “I’m sorry, are you talking to us? We usually have the place to ourselves on Monday’s.”

Clarke speaks up, I guess she can tell that I am getting irritated. “I’m sorry, but we have this lane right now, but we will be finished shortly and then you and your friends can have the entire place. However, we have twenty minutes left.”

The guy says, “Oh, how cute. Are you girls trying to learn how to throw to impress your boyfriends? You know men would prefer their women to just come watch and cheer them on, not actually participate. You know the whole be seen, not heard thing.”

This statement really pissed me off and I instinctively balled up my fists. Once again Clarke spoke first, “Actually, we are on our first date and it would be nice if you would let us continue to have a good time, please.”

He looked between Clarke and I and then laughed. He yelled at his group of friends and said, “Hey guys, these two are on a date and would like to be left alone.”

A different guy says, “Well, invite them to leave. We don’t want lesbians in our sanctuary. We come here to blow off steam and have a good time, besides everyone knows girls can’t throw axes.”

Caden walks up, “What’s going on?”

The second guy says, “It’s nothing Caden. We were just explaining to the girls here that women should be seen and not heard. We were also clarifying that women should just come to cheer for their man, not actually participate. Now why don’t you two run along, while us men do manly things.”

At this point I have heard enough and take a step towards the first guy. Clarke grabs my hand and squeezes it. I guess she is trying to tell me to calm down, but I am past that. “How about you guys just let us finish our time and then we will be on our way. We don’t want any trouble. We are just trying to have a good time, that’s all.”

“That doesn’t really work for us, does it guys?” They all just laugh.

I take another step closer to the first guy and Caden speaks up, “Come on guys, leave them alone. You have the rest of the lanes, just let them finish up.”

“Nah, I think they are done for the day.”

I’m pissed now, “Did your mother never tell you it isn’t nice to pick on girls? I think that someone needs to teach you all a lesson in manners.”

“Really, and are you going to be the one to try? I mean there are what fifteen of us and one of you unless you are counting your girlfriend.”

“I’m not opposed to those odds, if you feel like taking a beating.”

They all laugh, and Clarke says, “Come on Lexa, let’s just go. They aren’t worth you getting hurt and not being able to take the fight in Dubai.”

Dude says, “Yeah, you should listen to her and just leave.”

“I don’t think so. Although she does have a point about fighting. I don’t want to ruin my chance at the fight in Dubai so how about we make a little bet instead? I will take on your best thrower and if I win you will apologize to my girlfriend for ruining our first date and let us finish. If your guy wins, I will buy you a bottle of whatever you want from the bar and we will be on our way. How does that sound?”

The first guy says, “Sure, but how about we make it more interesting. Let’s put some money on it also.”

“Whatever, how much?”

He goes and talks it over with his group and then says, “We will bet you ten grand that you can’t beat Jeff.”

“You’re on!”

Caden pulls me aside and says, “Jeff is a word champion axe thrower who competes all over the world.”

“I really don’t care who he is. He needs to be taught a lesson and I am just the person to do it. I would rather kick his ass, but I have a UFC fight coming up in two weeks and don’t want to jeopardize that. Can you keep score since I have no idea how too?”

Caden says, “Um, sure.” He moves to switch out the target with a regulation on and explains that hitting the green circles in the corners count 7 points, the black center ring is 5 points, red ring is 3 and blue ring is 1 point.

I nod in understanding and say, “Okay Jeff, would you like to go first?”

He replies, “Of course!”

He steps up and throws, hitting the center of the black ring. I shrug and throw hitting a green circle. The crowd gasps, while Clarke chuckles. The match consists of three rounds. After seeing me hit the green, Jeff, goes for it and hits it with his second throw. The match proceeds with me hitting the green with every throw and therefore winning the first round. The second round goes by in a tie and so does the third, meaning that I won.

Clarke jumps into my arms and kisses me deeply, “Did you have any doubt that I would win?”

She giggles, “Well, this is your first time doing this but not really.”

All of the guys are stunned, and Jeff is turning red. He walks over and extends his hand for me to shake. “Nice throwing, how long have you been throwing?”

“Actually, today is my first time.”

“Seriously? You have got to be kidding me!”

“Nope, but if it makes you feel better, I have been throwing knives pretty much my whole life.”

“No, not really. Hey look, I’m sorry my friends are such assholes.”

“It’s really no problem, I’m kinda used to dealing with assholes. Usually, I would just kick your ass, but I have a UFC fight coming up and I don’t want to miss it because I have a hot head.”

“Oh, have you fought in the UFC before? We usually watch the fights together.”

“Actually, I had my first fight a couple weeks ago in LA against Jewel ‘the KO Queen’ Budd.”

“No way! You’re Stryker?”

“The one and only. By the way, this is Clarke my girlfriend.”

Jeff yells over to the guy that started this crap and says, “Dan get over here and apologize to Clarke and pay up. You are an idiot! Do you know who you were trying to pick a fight with?”

Dan says, “No, and I don’t care. They shouldn’t be here during our time.”

Jeff says, “Do you remember watching the UFC fights the other week?”

“Yeah, so.”

“So, this is Stryker. The one who beat Jewel.” He said.

Dan says, “Holy crap, you’re right.” He looks at me and says, “Dude, I’m so sorry about before. I should…”

I interrupt him, “You should learn some manners, is what you should do. I’ll let it go this time, but it better not happen again. Now if you would just apologize to my girl and pay up, we will be on our way.”

Dan looks from me to Clarke and says, “I’m really sorry that I messed up your first date. Please forgive me and I will try to do better.”

Clarke smiles, “I’ll forgive you this time.”

Jeff comes over with the money and says, “I know this is asking a lot after everything, but can we get a few pictures with you Stryker?”

Clarke and I laugh before I say, “Sure.”

As I’m taking the pictures with the guys, Clarke’s phone rings and after a brief conversation she hangs up making a face. I walk over and ask, “Is everything okay?”

She replies, “Not really. That was mom, she wants us to meet her and my brother’s family for dinner tonight before they fly out tomorrow.”

“I’m okay with it, if you are.”

“I’m really not. I had the whole day planned for our date including a romantic dinner tonight and now…well this part was interrupted by a group of assholes and now dinner is being highjacked by my asshole of a brother.” Suddenly, she just starts crying.

“Hey, don’t cry. I’m having a great time, even with the assholes. If you don’t want to go to dinner, then we won’t. I will do whatever you want to do. Please don’t cry.”

I open my arms and she steps into them. She snuggles into my chest and sniffles. “I’m sorry! I don’t know what is wrong with me. I just wanted everything to be perfect for our first date and it seems like everything is going wrong. As much as I don’t want to go to dinner with them tonight, I feel like I should.”

“Ya amar, I love you and it doesn’t matter what we do as long as we are together. If you want to go to dinner that is fine, if you don’t that is fine too. I just want to spend time with you, I don’t care what we are doing.”

She pulls away from the hug and looks at me, “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“No, sweetie. I don’t mind a bit. I would like to know what the deal with your brother is though.”

“I will tell you the story later. We still have time for the next part of the date if you want to continue the disaster that is our first date.”

“I would love to continue. I’m having a great time and I made ten thousand dollars. What’s next?”

“I know it is cheesy, but I thought we could go see a movie.”

“It’s not cheesy to me. I’ve always wanted to go to the movies, especially with a hot date.”

“Wait, are you saying you have never been to the movies before?”

“Um…there aren’t many theaters in the desert. So, no I have never been to a movie theater. I mean Allie took me to the dinner theater but…no.”


	60. Clarke/Lexa

Clarke  
I can’t believe that Lexa has never been to a movie before. Come to think of it, I bet there are a lot of things that she has never done before that I take for granted. Well, maybe this part of the date will be better than the last. I know she said she had fun, but I don’t like confrontations and those guys were jerks. Although after Lexa beat them and they found out who she was they turned out to be alright.

I just wish I could figure a way out of going to dinner with mom and Niko. I really wanted to have a nice romantic dinner with my girlfriend, not have to deal with my asshole brother. Lexa is amazing though; she doesn’t seem to care what we do as long as we do it together. I give her directions to the movie theater and we get there just in time to get some popcorn and get a seat.

We sit in the back upper corner so that we have a good view but also some privacy. After we finish the popcorn, I snuggle into Lexa’s side with my head on her shoulder. She seems to really get into the movie once I give her an overview of what it is about. I didn’t think about the fact that she may have not seen the first Wonder Woman movie, which she hasn’t. After the movie Lexa was so excited it was adorable. She loved the movie and made me promise that we would see the first one soon.

We had just enough time to go back home and change before meeting my family at the restaurant. Of course, mom picked a fancy place because that is what Niko likes. Niko and Lucas had left Sabrina with Callie so that Asher and she could spend some time together before she had to leave. Lexa had me pick out her clothes for her. I wore a simple form fitting blue dress that Lexa had bought me on our shopping trip. I picked out her a pair of black slacks paired with a blue long sleeve button up shirt and a pair of dress boots. The shirt really brought out the color of her eyes and she looked amazing.

Once we were dressed, I said, “You look amazing babe. Let’s take my car since I know the way and I will drive.”

Her reply is, “Babe you look awesome. Are you sure we can’t just stay in and well…let me undress you?”

I smile and say, “If you are lucky, I’ll be your desert later. But I have to warn you my brother and I don’t really get along so it may be a tense evening.”

“I think I can handle it, as long, as you make it up to me tonight. I would like to know the story or why you two don’t get along though.”

“I will tell you the story on the way to the restaurant.”

After we are on the road, I begin the story of my brother and our falling out. “I guess you have noticed that my dad isn’t around. The reason for that is he was killed in a bombing in a remote village in El Salvador that he and mom were working in with the organization Doctors without Borders. I was ten, mom and I were in town shopping the day it happened. Niko was twenty-five and had just finished college. After the bombing, mom and I brought dad’s body home for the funeral. The organization gave mom a couple of months off, but she was still under contract for another few years and had to go back but after dad’s death she didn’t want me to go with her anymore. I think we both thought that Niko would look after me with help from the Jaha’s but no he ran. Two days after the funeral, he packed up his things and said he was moving to the UK. I looked up to my brother and when I needed him the most he left.”

I pause and glance at Lexa. She takes my hand and says, “Clarke, I’m so sorry.”

I shrug and continue, “Any way, when mom left, I stayed with the Jaha family. Wells was my age and my best friend. Wells, Finn, and I were inseparable as kids, so I stayed with the Jaha’s when mom was on assignment and only heard from Niko on my birthday and holidays. He would occasionally show up for Christmas if he knew mom was going to be home for the holidays. After high school graduation, Wells joined the Marines and shipped out leaving just me and Finn. A year later on his first tour in Afghanistan, Wells was killed in a IED explosion. Even then Niko stayed away. He never seemed to be there when I needed him. I understand there is a big age difference but still you would think that family would be there when you need them. Not Niko, all I had was Finn. As much as I hate him now, he was there for me then. He was good to me and was a rock when I needed it. When Wells died his dad was devastated and was never the same, so I ended up living at home by myself. The cookout was the first time I have seen Niko since I graduated med school and he shows up with a boyfriend and a daughter with no warning and acts like nothing is wrong. Like he didn’t run from the chance to help raise me and now he has a kid that I didn’t know about.”

Lexa squeezes my hand and says, “Babe, I’m sorry that you had to go through that. I’m even more sorry that I didn’t know you back then so that I could have been there for you. I promise, I will be by your side for as long as you will let me. You say the word and I will kick Niko’s ass and his boyfriends too if need be.”

I can’t help but laugh, “I know you will, sweetie, but let’s just try to make it through the meal so that we can go back home and have some alone time.”

“Yes ma’am, but remember, just say the word.”

We pull up in front of the restaurant and the valet opens my door, I hand him the keys and walk around to take Lexa’s hand. The hostess takes us to the table where everyone is already seated and having a glass of wine. Mom gets up and hugs me and then Lexa. Lexa pulls out my chair for me and as I take a seat Niko says, “Nice of you to join us baby sis.”

I reach for Lexa’s hand under the table to calm me before saying, “Nice to be her big brother. Sorry we are late, but we were in the middle of something when I got the call about dinner. Nice of you to invite us at the last-minute.” I look at Lexa and say, “Lexa do you remember my brother Niko and his boyfriend Lucas from the cookout?”

Niko says, “Actually, Lucas and I got married a couple of months ago, so he is my husband.”

“Oh, well I guess my invitation was lost in the mail. Congratulations.”

Lucas says, “Thanks, it was a spur of the moment wedding and we plan on having a bigger one and inviting family and friends probably next summer. So, Lexa what do you do and how do you know Clarke?” 

I speak before she can, “Lexa is a UFC fighter and my girlfriend.”

Niko says, “Since when did my baby sis start dating women? I thought you and Finn were engaged.”

“Well, I guess that shows what you know big bro. Finn and I have been over for a while…”

Mom speaks up, “Okay children let’s be civil.”

Lexa speaks up, “So Niko, Lucas what do you two do for work? Where do you live, how did you meet?”

Lucas laughs, “Right now we live in Great Britain, but we are considering moving to the US to be closer to family. I’m an Olympic wrestler for my home country of Brazil and I met Niko while training for the last Olympic games. Niko is a personal trainer and I hired him to help with my conditioning about five years ago and well here we are.”

Lexa says, “Wow, too bad you all are leaving tomorrow. I could really use some help on my wrestling for my next fight. Jewel sort of took me to school when it came to the ground game last fight.”

Lucas says, “Wait, you’re Stryker? ”

I say, “Yeah, why did you watch the fight?”

"I thought you looked familiar, I just couldn't place from where."

He says, “Yeah, I did but you know Niko and his phobia of blood so of course he doesn’t like to watch.”

I laugh, “Yeah, I still haven’t figured out why he hates blood considering he had doctor’s for parents. If you saw the fight, then you should have known that Lexa and I were dating.”

Lucas says, “I guess I should have but, in my defense, I hadn’t met you before the cookout.” He looks at Niko and says, “Babe, do you think that we could maybe postpone leaving for a while. I wouldn’t mind helping Lexa train some.”

Niko says, “I don’t know. I’m not sure how mom and Clarke would feel about that and you know that I hate staying in hotels for extended amounts of time.”

Mom speaks up, “You know that you can always stay with me. I have plenty of room.”

Niko says, “Mom, we have Sabrina and you only have one extra bedroom.”

Lexa leans close and whispers, “You could stay with me and let Sabrina have your room or I could offer to let them stay on the boat, but it is up to you. I know you don’t get along, but like you said earlier family should stick together.”

I grimace but say, “Niko, if you all would like to stay a while I can stay with Lexa and Sabrina can have my room.”

Lucas says, “See babe, problem solved.”

Niko replies, “I don’t want to kick baby sis out of her room.”

“I really don’t mind. I like staying with Lexa but if you are worried about it, you all could stay with Lexa she has plenty of rooms.”

Niko gives in and says, “Fine, we will talk it over tonight and let you know.”

Mom says, “Great, it will be fun getting to know my granddaughter. Now, I do have something I want to talk to everyone about. I have been approached by the CIA to do a research project for them which will require that I set up a lab. They want me to set up in DC, but I told them the only way I would even consider it was if I could set up the lab here in San Francisco.”

I say, “That’s great mom! Does that mean you are finished with the war zone assignments and are finally going to stay home?”

“That is what I wanted to talk to all of you about. I’m not sure that I want to deal with the government and the CIA especially for what they have in mind. I do want to do the project but as an independent facility, which will require money. The CIA has agreed to fund the project, but I would have to buy or rent the facility and equipment and hire doctors and chemists. I have some money saved but getting this facility up and running will likely take all of my savings and I wanted to get your input before I do it.”

Niko says, “I don’t know how I feel about that mom. What are you going to live on if it fails? I have a family now and I don’t know if I would be able to help you if you needed it.”

“Mom, what is the project the CIA wants you to work on?”

“Well…you know the mission Fletch is on, Julian is predicting that she is going to be bringing some children and maybe adults back that have been experimented on and he wants to monitor them and find out the extent of the effects and so forth.”

Lexa speaks up, “Abby are you talking about the genetic mutation of DNA like we found in Afghanistan?”

“Yes, Lexa, I would be running tests and experiments to find out if these mutations cause any harm in the long run and what benefits the mutations may have. Why?”

“Well, Amelia and Ash have been helping me set up a corporation for the money that I made from the tournament and I have been looking for investment opportunities. I want to find someone to help me develop better armor for use in war zones as well as maybe better weapons, but I would be willing to also fund your research facility. Although I don’t agree with the experimentation on humans, I do want to help those that didn’t have a choice in becoming guinea pigs.”

Mom looks at Lexa surprised, “Really? You’re serious?”

Lexa smiles, “Of course, I have seen firsthand what happens when people are forced to do things they don’t want to do, and I vowed to help whenever I could. I see this as a good opportunity to start helping. Besides, I have the money and I trust you to do the right thing. I only ask that you help me find someone to help with the armor research and I will make you CEO of AST Enterprise.”

Mom says, “Lexa, exactly how much money did you make fighting in that illegal tournament? I mean other than the yacht of course.”

Lexa says, “I’m not completely sure, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 58 million, which has only continued to grow with the UFC fight. Will that be enough to get both projects started?”

Mom looks at me and I shrug, I had no idea she made that much. Niko says, “Jesus, how…what…”

I laugh, “That’s right big bro, my girl is amazingly hot, sexy, intelligent, an awesome fighter and rich.”

Everyone laughs except Lexa who is bright red. “Oh and did I mention a war hero too, with a purple heart, presidential medal and a couple of others.”

Lexa says, “Babe, stop. I think he gets the picture. So, Abby what do you think?”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting this when I asked everyone to dinner for one. I really just wanted to get some input and ask Clarke and Niko if they would come work for me but…”

I interrupt, “What? You want me to quite my residency and come work with you?”

“No honey, I want you to come work for me once your residency is finished next month. Niko, I was hoping you would come help with the chemistry aspect of the research since you do have a master’s degree in chemistry.”

I say, “I will definitely think about it, mom. The hours have to be better than what my trauma surgeon residency will be and I’m thinking I may want to have more time to spend with Lexa. If that’s alright with her, especially if she is going to be traveling a lot fighting. I want to be able to go with her. What do you think, Ceilo?”

“I think that is an amazing idea, Ya amar. I would love to have more time with you.”

“You know what? Mom, I think I will take the job. I will let the hospital know tomorrow when I go to work that once my residency rotation is up in a few weeks that I won’t be coming back for the trauma rotation.”

Mom says, “Great! Lexa, we have another appointment with Mr. Cantrell on Thursday so we can talk to him about what needs to be done to get this up and running. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Lexa says, “Yes ma’am, more than almost anything. While we are talking about appointments, can you go with me on Wednesday to Vegas for my UFC physical since you will be my doctor for this fight?”

“Of course! Okay then, let’s toast to new beginnings.”

I’m not sure what to think about what has just happened. Hell, I’m not even sure I know what just happened. I excuse myself from the table and head to the bathroom. I just need a moment to process everything.

When I make it to the bathroom, I splash cold water on my face and just stare at myself in the mirror. I can’t believe that just happened. My girlfriend just said she would fund my mom’s research project, which I can understand considering she has the mutated DNA, but I just said that I would give up my dream of being an ER doctor to help with the research. What has me the most confused is why! I’m doing it so that I can spend more time with Lexa! I mean I will still be a doctor and helping people but just not the way I have always dreamed, and I actually feel good about the decision.

Lexa  
After Clarke agreed to leave the hospital and go to work with Abby, she quickly excused herself from the table. I looked over to Abby and said, “Is she okay? Should I go check on her?”

Abby shrugs her shoulders and says, “You may want to give her a moment to process everything. I can’t believe she was so quick to say yes to working with me and leaving the hospital. It has always been her dream to follow in my footsteps and become a trauma surgeon, which will take at least two more years of residency, so I’m surprised she agreed so quickly. I thought that I would have to beg her, and she still wouldn’t.”

“Oh, um…why shouldn’t I go check on her?”

“Because she is probably trying to come to terms with why she decided to leave the hospital. Just give her a few before you go. Let her have a chance to think.”

“Alright, but why do you think she agreed to work with you?”

Everyone at the table laughs at how clueless I am. Niko speaks up and says, “Because of you. I think that my baby sis has finally found something, or in this case someone, she loves more than work.”

“What? What do you mean because of me? I would never ask her to give up her dream!”

Abby says, “And that is the reason she needs time to process, because you didn’t have to ask her too. She did it willingly because she wants to have more time to spend with you.”

“I’m sorry, I have to go talk to her.” I get up and head for the bathroom. I can’t believe Clarke would give up on her dream for me. I don’t want her to do that. I want her to do what makes her happy.

I open the bathroom door and find Clarke standing in front of the mirror staring at herself with water droplets clinging to her face. I whisper, “Hey.”

She flinches but when she sees that it is me she smiles, “Hey.”

“Babe, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just needed a minute to think in quiet. I’m sorry I ran and left you at the table with them.”

“Sweetie, it’s fine. I can handle them. What I can’t handle is you being upset. I don’t want you to give up on being a trauma surgeon because of me. I’m not going anywhere, and we will make it work.”

“Lexa, that’s not why I ran! I-I…I don’t know. I guess I surprised myself when I said that I was willing to leave the hospital because I wanted more time with you. I have always put my work first and never let anything get in the way of what I wanted to accomplish…”

I interrupt her, “I would never ask you to-to change that. I’m happy just knowing that you will be coming home to me. I will take what time with you that I can get and enjoy every minute of it. You don’t have to give anything up for me. In fact, after this fight, I won’t take anymore that way I won’t have to travel…”

She stops me with a quick kiss, “No, I don’t want you to stop fighting. I’m not upset about leaving the hospital. I’m actually excited to get to work on the research with mom. I was just surprised at-at how easy it was to make the decision when all my life I thought that my work was going to be the one thing that I had to make me happy. It was the one thing I could count on to let me just be me. Not Finn’s girlfriend or wife. I knew that he could never make me as happy I my work made me, and I thought that if he couldn’t then no one could. At least until I met you. You make me happy and I want to have more time to spend with you. It-it just scares me that-that I want to be with you as much as I can. I can always go back and become a surgeon once the research project is finished if that’s what I want.”

“As long as you are sure and know that I would never ask you to give up any thing for me.”

“I know, sweetie, I know! Let’s go back out there and enjoy the rest of dinner.” She took my face in her hands and pulled me close and our lips meet softly, slowly moving together as our tongues touch and tease. A moan rumbles from Clarke, deep and low, spurring me to deepen the kiss. My body arched uncontrollably, searching out more contact, but was denied when Clarke pulled away. Her forehead rested against mine and we were both breathing heavily, “Not here, why don’t we go say goodbye and head home. I don’t have to be to the hospital until noon tomorrow.”

We walk back out to the table hand in hand, everyone looks to be enjoying their conversation but as we approach, they all look at us. Abby says, “Is everything okay, girls?”

Clarke says, “Yes, mom, I just needed a moment. Thank you for dinner and the job opportunity but I think we are going to call it a night. Niko, Sabrina is welcome to my room. I’m going to be staying with Lexa for a while. If you all decide you would rather stay with Lexa just let me know. She has plenty of room.”

I say, “Abby, thank you for dinner and I look forward to working with you. Niko, I hope that you decide to become a part of the research project as well. Lucas, let me know when you are all settled in and ready to help me train. I look forward to learning from you.”

The car ride home was a quiet one. Not uncomfortable, just quiet. I had a lot to think about and if I had to guess so does Clarke. When we make it back to Amelia’s and start to walk down the pathway to the beach, I take Clarke’s hand stopping her. She turns to look and me and I say, “Look…I’m not asking you to change or to stop work. Your dedication and need to help others are some of my favorite things about you. I’m fine with whatever time we can carve out for one another. I just need you to be open with me, this is new to me. Sometimes I feel like you’re holding back, and I don’t know why. That scares the shit out of me.” I pause to collect my thoughts, then I smile and add, “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I love that you can ramble on with fancy doctor words one moment and then shock me by taking me on a wonderfully planed out date, even if it had a few hiccups. I enjoyed the hell out of it. I look forward to learning about all the different parts of Dr. Clarke Griffin, because no one makes me feel the way you do.”

Clarke  
Lexa’s heartfelt words hit me right in the chest, causing my eyes to sting. I never thought I’d hear such adoration directed toward me and it makes me want to do everything in my power to give us a real shot. “Lexa, I promise I will try. You are the only person who has ever made me feel this way. You are the first person I have ever wanted to ditch work and spend time with. I usually prefer to bury myself in my work so that I have an excuse not to spend time with people. It may not seem like it, but I’ve been more open with you than anyone else. Please be patient. I’m afraid to lose myself to these feelings, but I don’t want to lose you either. I feel different when I’m with you and that scares me.”

“See? Was that so hard to express?” Lexa asks, chuckling lightly as she took my hand and pulled it to her lips for a light kiss.

“A little,” I say with a half-hearted laugh. “I guess sometimes my mind takes a while to catch up with my heart. It’s going to take some practice, but I AM working on it.” I reach my free hand and take Lexa’s.

Looking down at our joined hands, the moon’s rays lite up Lexa’s eyes as she glances up through her long lashes as she says, “That’s all I ask.”

We walked the rest of the way to the beach in a comfortable silence and once we were back on the boat we went straight to our room. As soon as the door shut behind us, I pulled Lexa’s hand up to my lips, lightly kissing the palm and then brushing my nose across the soft skin along the inside of her wrist, inhaling a light mandarin musk scent before leaving a tender kiss. The delighted sigh she received in response ignited something inside, driving me wild, daring me to take what I so desperately wanted.

Bringing Lexa’s index finger into my mouth, I suck it softly before moving to the next and then the one after that, until I’d gotten my fill. Loving the soft whimpers and moans I was drawing from the woman who was pressing increasingly tighter against her, I drag Lexa’s hand down to my right breast and squeezed. Damn it, they are still sensitive, and I flinch. This causes Lexa to try and pull away, but I hold her hand in place. “I’m fine, their just sensitive, so be gentle.”

Soon my eyes roll back, awash in the sensation of nimble fingers gently working their magic as they move on their own accord. I have denied myself for too long since the first amazing night we had. Exhausted from fighting my desires, tonight I am going to give myself over entirely and let the chips fall where they may.

A combined gasp accompanied the slow rocking of Lexa’s hips against my thigh, silently working us both into a frenzy. Releasing Lexa’s hand, I shift and cup her cheek while her finger gently traces my jawline in return. Steel blue irises give way to dark grey almost black ones and the heat between us rises to a slow boil through a series of deep, slow kisses, each one spurring our need to feel the other’s flesh. Eager hands roamed, grasping blindly for any free edge of clothing to slip under in search of skin. 

Lexa  
When my hands finally found the hot pool of desire at the apex of Clarke’s thighs, I groan and took her bottom lip between my teeth. Releasing her lip, I whisper, “I’ve been dying to touch you again.”

“I’ve been dying for you to touch me!”

“You’re so wet. Can I-I…”

“Yes,” Clarke blurts out, unwilling to wait for the rest of the question. She grinds her hips onto my fingers and released a heavenly groan. I say, “God you feel so good. Can we get out of these clothes?” She was panting heavily now and all I want to do is feel Clarke’s naked body against mine and judging by the look in her eyes the feeling was more than mutual.

“Please.”

We quickly started, yanking, and pulling at one another’s garments, both of us past the point of enjoying a slow reveal. I rip open my button up shirt sending buttons flying across the room. Clarke hastily pulls her dress off in one quick movement, all the while we are moving towards the bed. Bras were gone in a flash. Pants and panties unceremoniously dropped to the floor. The flurry of arms and legs stopped when the last of the clothing had been dispersed.

“So beautiful,” I whisper full of awe as my eyes rake down Clarke’s long, lean body. Lightly tanned skin with a light dusting of freckles lay bare for me to explore. I lay down bringing her on top of me, our eyes locked as we revel in the feel of finally having skin on skin. 

Clarke settles one thigh between my muscled legs, pressing hard against my soaked core. A relieved groan fell from her lips when I afforded her the same pleasure. A simultaneous slow grind began, each matching the other’s pace. The friction served as a delicious tease, yet provides the pressure needed to achieve my goal.

What I desperately want is her long, slender fingers, but that would have to wait. I was already too far gone. There would be time to map one another’s bodies later. Right now, I need a release, and I would bet money from the way Clarke was moaning and thrusting into me that she had the exact same idea.

Clarke nipped and sucked her way up to my neck to my ear and was rewarded with a soft whimper when she took me supple ear lobe between her teeth. She then continued on until she found my mouth. Gone were the slow, deep kisses. I took control, my tongue searching and finding a willing partner in a heated duel. Mouths were devoured. Our rhythms synced. Hips and tongues thrusted in unison…both of us gasping and moaning until we came together in a symphony of passion.

Clarke  
Safe in one another’s embrace, we came down from our high together. I was elated, relieved, energized. Lexa’s touch, the feel of her body against my own…it had been everything I have dreamed of and then some…but rather than quenching my thirst for her, my body only begged for more.

The bottle of pent-up sexual energy has been uncorked and I am going to drain it dry. I waste no time in following through with my vow and I roll Lexa over and commence with round two. I trail a finger down between two perfect breasts before teasing the hardening nipples. Lexa gasp and arches into my touch…her short breaths threatening to match the speedy pace of my heartbeat. It doesn’t take much for me to get her going and the roaming of agile fingers had my body ready to soar. Three hours and two showers later we were both spent.


	61. Clarke/Lexa

Clarke

Letting go was exhausting. Exhausting, but liberating. Last night, I had let go of everything I’d been fighting against and this morning I felt lighter. And sore. Sore in a good way, like I’ve never been sore before, but still lighter, freer, and plain old fucking relaxed.

As I stretch out my lithe body, I struggle to recall the last time I felt this good and truly relaxed. I was always working, studying, thinking, or thinking about how to avoid Finn’s need for sex. At home alone, in a relationship, and even in social settings, my mind was on other things and not at all invested in the act of socializing itself.

I realize that I still need to work on thinking less and following my heart but after the realization I had last night, I don’t think it should be a problem. Lexa is worth it since she’s broken through the walls I had painstakingly built up.

I roll over, fulling expecting to see Lexa watching me sleep like she usually is but instead I find her still sleeping. Finally, I get to take in her beauty while she sleeps. She is even more beautiful laying there sleeping. I can’t help but run my hands up and down her toned body. My touch leaves a trail of goosebumps and sends a shiver through me. I bury my nose in her mussed hair and inhale her scent-sweet mandarin musk and sex. Someone should really bottle that. It is sexy as hell and already had my arousal making a return visit. Last night had opened the flood gates and now I can’t get enough of Lexa.

Lexa’s eyes fluttered open and upon seeing me she smile, “Good morning, beautiful.”

I give her a mischievous smile and slowly move my fingers down the valley between her thighs until they reach their target, sifting through the soft curls I found there. “Well…I was going to ask if you wanted breakfast but…” Lexa says with a mix between a growl and a laugh. My eyes fell to her lips and then her breast.

“Fuck breakfast!”

“Doctor! Language!” Lexa laughs but it quickly transforms into a pleasure filled moan when my hand slips under the sheet and takes her right breast into my palm massaging it gently. “I thought…mmm…god…” Her words were forgotten when my hot mouth covered her sensitive nipple through the soft cotton of the sheet, bringing it to a hardened peak.

“I thought you had to work, and breakfast was the most important meal of the day?” Lexa whispered breathily, rushing to get the words out.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to eat anything at all. However, what I want to eat doesn’t require the stove to heat it up.”

Lexa

Last night, Clarke had let down her guard and it was all I had ever wanted. It had truly been an evening to remember. Hopefully, it was the first of many to come, because this morning I was seeing an entirely different Clarke Griffin.

I yank the sheets back and openly admire her form. Unable to resist the urge to touch, my hands lightly traverse Clarke’s sides and along the swell of her breasts, finally settling on her hips. “The doctor does know best.” I say with a seductive grin. “What do you recommend?”

“I should take you two times in the morning and two times before bed,” Clarke husked, lunging forward to drag open mouth kisses across my collarbone while cupping my bare butt. She begins to snake a hand between my thighs, indulged in the slick heat that awaits her. She pulls back with a smile and glanced down, then back up to meet my hooded eyes.

“You’re burning up. I recommend you spend the day in bed,” she says, her voice dripping of sex. Her lustful gaze belied her intentions, causing my heart to pound, echoing in my ears. 

“It’s that bad, huh?” I am quickly falling under the influence of Clarke’s touch, but will myself to stay sober. Wanting to partake in some fun of my own, my hand slides down her stomach and beyond. What greets me pleases me to no end. I’m not the only one hot and ready.

There were no words, only a simple nod before Clarke went directly to the object of her desire, lavishing both of my breasts with her full attention. She really is a boob girl, was the last thought before the jolt of a hot, wet mouth sucked on my nipple.

“Don’t you have other patients to attend to today, Doctor?” I ask between heavy breaths.

“Your condition requires my undivided attention.” Clarke uses her body to roll onto me and places a thigh between my legs. A guttural groan fell out of my mouth as I grind my hips against her firm resistance. I could get used to this Clarke, the one who takes what she wants…not that I don’t enjoy any of the “Clarkes” I’ve had the chance to experience. I’m quickly finding that I love being owned by this woman…something I couldn’t say about any of my previous lovers, not even Ash made me feel this way.

The feel of her hands all over my body, the heat of her mouth against my skin, the knowledge that this is the only woman who could make me feel so fucking good, spurs my desire to new heights. My hips work feverishly to relieve the delicious ache pooling low in my belly, heating my skin, and tingling my toes.

“I think your condition is critical. There is no time to waste.” With a wildfire of desire burning in her eyes, Clarke pushes my legs wide open. She holds my gaze as her tongue slowly swept up the length of my dripping folds.

“Oh god!” I scream, both from the pleasure of Clarke’s attention and the sheer intensity in her gaze. A second taste sent my eyes rolling as my body pushed farther into the bed. “So good. More please,” I gasp out in pleasure.

My request was granted with two fingers plunging deep inside while a dexterous tongue continues to ravish me, driving me closer and closer to the sweet oblivion I so desperately crave. Prying my eyes open again, I nearly come at the sight of Clarke touching herself. “Holy…” My words fell away with the soft vibration of Clarke moaning against my hypersensitive center. A new need rose from within and I’m not shy about making it known. “Come with me, Ya amar.”

I’m close, so close. I refuse to be weak this time, forcing my eyes to remain open and locked on my girlfriend, who is stroking herself in time with the rhythm of her tongue and fingers. The pace quicken, thrusts deepen, resulting in a crescendo of passionate cries as our bodies convulse in the most wonderful of ways. Air was hard to come by, but I manage to rasp out, “That was just what the doctor ordered.”

I roll onto my side and prop my head in my hand, resting my elbow against the mattress. I study Clarke carefully, watching as my girlfriend slides on a pair of scrubs. When she bends over to tie her shoes, I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and think, that’s a heavenly sight, but so much better naked. “Do you have time for brunch before you leave?”

“No, I’m running late thanks to your emergent condition that required my attention. I will pick something up on the way to the hospital.”

I roll out of bed with a smile. I approach and slowly envelope her in a warm embrace. “And I really appreciate the thoroughness of your exam and treatment, but I don’t trust you to stop for food. Give me five minutes and I will have Patrona get you a bag breakfast to take with you.” I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and grab my phone to call Patrona.

Ten minutes later, we are saying goodbye as she gets into her car. “What time do you get off tonight?”

“Not until midnight at the earliest.”

“Um…would it be okay if I bought you dinner and eat with you?”

“I would like that. I should get a break for dinner around seven.”

I lean through the window and brush my lips to hers, “I love you doctor. I’ll see you at seven.”


	62. Lexa

Lexa  
On the walk back down to the beach, I text Morrigan to see if she is free to go look at the plane, I have picked out online. Then I text Reed and Jose and ask them to meet me at the outdoor dining area. Morrigan texts back and says sure, so I let her know to meet me when she is ready.

Once Reed and Jose make it to the table to join me, I say, “I think with Ash gone, it would be easier if we took the Untouchable back to the dock. What do you think?”

Reed replies, “Probably, it makes more sense because it is easier to get on and off the ship.”

“Great so after Morrigan and I disembark it a bit can you go ahead and take her back to the slip?”  
“Sure, no problem.”

“Another thing, since I won’t be hosting a watch party or after party for the next fight, we can leave her docked and you two can come with me to the fight and not have to worry about the boat. Jose, are you going to be around later? I could use a sparring partner when I get back since I missed yesterday and this morning.”

They laugh and Reed says, “I’m sure you fit in some cardio while Clarke was here.”

“Of course, but I need to hit something.” I say with a chuckle.

Jose says, “Sure, just text when you get back.”

Morrigan walks up and we head out. I have already done extensive research online and picked out the plane that I think will work. I just need Morrigan’s input. When we get to the airport hangar, we are met by Raffi Parsamian. He gives us a tour of the plane. It is a Boeing 747-8 that has been converted into a VIP plane, which means it doesn’t have the original seating of a Boeing 747. It has been customized. When we enter the plane, there is an entry way much like you would expect on a commercial cruise ship but smaller.

There is a spiral staircase that descends to the master suite and ascends to the sky loft. The master suite is nestled in the nose of the jumbo jet, directly under the cockpit and away from the engines. It includes a queen size bed, storage spaces, reading lights, 65” smart TV and a master bathroom with walk-in shower.

The sky loft is located above the main cabin between the upper deck and tail which contains 880 square feet of space filled with individual sleeping pods, a bathroom and closet space. Each pod contains a TV, twin bed and reading light.

In the main cabin to the left of the entryway is the crew area and galley kitchen. Behind the entryway is a dining room and office area which can be converted into a conference room. To the right of the entry way toward the middle of the plane, the space opens out into the centerpiece of the jet-a cavernous living area perfect for hosting guests or just kicking back. For more intimate discussions paired leather seats offer more privacy along the sides of the hallway. Past the living area are four smaller lounge areas that can be converted into bedrooms and the aft of the plane holds a 500 square foot state of the art med bay.

After Raffi gives us the tour, he leaves and lets us explore on our own. I look at Morrigan and say, “So, what do you think? Can you fly this beast?”

She says, “Yes, but I will need a copilot.”

“No problem, do you have someone in mind?”

“Actually, I do have someone in mind. One of my best mates from back home, Lincoln Whittle. I will give him a call and see if he would be willing to relocate. If that is okay with you. He would need a place to stay at least temporarily but I trust him completely.”

“That’s no problem, I have plenty of space on the Untouchable. I would need him here in time to fly to Dubai for the fights in two weeks.”

“I’ll make the call while you talk to Raffi about purchasing this beast.”

A couple hours later, I am back at home sitting with the crew toasting the purchase of my new plane. Morrigan has been in touch with Lincoln and he should be here by early next week. I text Abby, O, and Bellamy to let them know that we will be leaving for Vegas in the morning at nine. Next, I stop by a jewelry store on my way to meet Clarke for dinner. I buy a charm for her bracelet that says, ‘You are loved’ and then stop in for some Mexican take out for Clarke, Lilian, and me.

I show up right on time and approach the nurse’s station inside the ER. I’m just about to ask for Clarke when I see Lilian. She waves me over and shows me to the break room where I spread out dinner for the three of us. Lilian leaves to go find Clarke but not before saying, “Clarke tells me that she is leaving the hospital to help her mom on a research project. I can’t believe she isn’t staying for her trauma rotation. She has always been so focused on becoming a surgeon none of us saw this coming. The doctors and administration aren’t incredibly happy that they are losing her. Do you know anything about why she decide to leave?”

“That is a question that you should ask her, not me.”

“Fine, I will go and find your woman. You can just hang out here.”

Ten minutes later, they come walking into the room. Clarke looks tired and makes a bee line to my arms, which I open and wrap around her. I love the way she snuggles into my chest and I inhale her honey lavender scent that is now mixed with the smell of hospital sanitizer. I pull back and say, “Hey, are you hungry?”

She smiles, “Not really, but I’m glad to see you.”

“You look exhausted, maybe we shouldn’t have…this morning. Anyway, you need to eat.” I pull out a chair for her and then Lilian.

Lilian says, “I’m just going to eat in the cafeteria so you can have a few minutes alone. Thank you for the food.”

“No, please say and join us.” I say, then I pull out the box the charm is in and hand it to Clarke. “This is just a little something to let you know that I love you.”

Lilian says, “Aww, you are so sweet.”

Clarke looks at the box and then me, “Ceilo, you don’t have to buy me presents.”

“I know I don’t have too, but I want too. I want you to know that I care and that you are important to me.”

She turns red and kisses me on the cheek before opening the box. “I love it, thank you.”

“You’re welcome now eat, please.”

As we eat, Lilian and I get to know one another a little better. She then asks Clarke, “So, why did you decide to leave and not continue your trauma rotation. Everyone has been asking me questions about it because they say I’m as close to a friend as you have here at the hospital.”

Clarke looks at me and then her food before saying, “I’m going to give you the answer I told the administration and then the real one, but you have to promise to keep the real one to yourself.”

Lilian just nods and Clarke says, “I told the administration that the opportunity to work on the research project was too good to pass up, which it is. It is something that I believe in, but that isn’t the whole truth. I’m also doing it because the hours and pay are better which allows me more time to spend with Lexa. I know, I can’t believe it either but…well, I just can’t get enough of her and I want to have more time to spend with her.”

Lilian smiles, “I’m happy for you. I was worried you were going to bury yourself in work and run yourself into the ground. That is until you dropped that asshole Finn. I have seen a big change in you the past couple of months and I like it. I am going to miss working with you though.”

I speak up, “Lilian, I’m sure that Abby will need some qualified nurses on the project if you are interested.”

“Really? That would be amazing. I’m sure that my son would love having me home more.”

Clarke says, “You have a son? How old is he? Are you married?”

Lilian laughs, “Yes, he just turned seven and I’m divorced. He stays with his dad while I’m at work, but he doesn’t really like too. So, it would be great to have a little more of a normal schedule.”

I say, “I will have Abby draw up a contract and bring it by later this week for you to take a look at. If it looks good to you then all you need to do is sign it and let us know when you can start. How does that sound?”

“It sounds amazing, but how do you know she will be willing to hire me?”

Clarke says, “One because I will tell her how good you are and two because Lexa is funding the project.”

She looks between Clarke and I and I shrug. Clarke says, “I don’t know if I told you or not by my beautiful sexy girlfriend is also a great businesswoman and she is also loaded.”

After dinner with Clarke, I headed home. Jose and I sparred for about an hour and then after a cryo therapy session and a shower, Bellamy, O, and Echo came over and we just hung out talking and drinking.

Around one am, Clarke text and said she was finally off and on her way home. I informed her that we were at the docks now and to let me know when she got to the parking lot and I would come get her. Even though the docks were pretty much safe with security, I would rather her not walk alone this late at night.

She was exhausted when she got home so I decided to give her another bath and then we snuggled into bed. She has an early shift in the morning, and I have my physical in Vegas.


	63. Lexa

Lexa  
The rest of the week went by fast, I passed my physical and the meeting with Mr. Cantrell went okay. We were able to take care of all the contract paperwork for the research facility and finalize all the legal stuff for AST Enterprise. I had him draw up a contract for Abby stating that she was CEO of the company and had the power to make all decisions about the research facility. Unfortunately, the Collin’s attorneys didn’t want to sign off on the deal that I had laid out for Finn. They were unwilling to have him register as a sex offender and were not happy about the fact that I wanted him to go to rehab.

Their counteroffer was for me to pay Finn one million dollars and he would sign the NDA about both the rape and payout. I told Mr. Cantrell to offer 500,000, a signed NDA on the rape and payout plus anger management counseling. I said to give him two weeks to think about this final offer.

Clarke continued to stay with me which I loved, and her brother and his family were staying with Abby. Abby was loving having Sabrina around. Lucas helped me train and I could really tell a difference in my ground game. Clarke was working all the time and I only saw her briefly at night but that was fine for now.

When Saturday came, I couldn’t wait to get in the cage with Keya Bagdi. I had O, Bellamy, and Lucas in my corner and of course the rest of the crew and group of friends in the crowd. Unfortunately, Clarke had to work. Before the fight, I stopped by to see Sloan and find out the odds of the fight. She informed me that I was a -600 favorite to win the fight but a +1600 to end the fight in under a minute. That was actually surprisingly good odds. I ask what the max bet was, and she said that Mickey had a new investor and the cap per fight was now $500,000. I placed my bet for the max for me to win in under a minute.

Once in the cage, we were called out to the center for the final instructions. Just like last time Keya started running his mouth saying that I got a lucky punch last time, and it wouldn’t happen again. He also had a few derogatory remarks about my sexuality. My response was to look him in the eyes and say, “I’m going to end this fight in under a minute and there is nothing that you can do about it.”

He laughs and says, “You want to bet?”

“Sure, how much?” He waves to a guy in the crowd that comes up to the outside of the cage.

He says to the guy, “I told you she was stupid. She is willing to bet that she knocks me out in under a minute. What do you want to bet, Mr. Haruhisa?”

Mr. Haruhisa says, “I’ll bet one million that you last longer than a minute.”

I look at him and say, “Is that a straight bet or do you play the odds? The odds are +1600 for me to end it in under a minute.”

Haruhisa laughs, “I’ll play the odds and give you +4000 if you end it in under 30 seconds.”

I look over to O and Bellamy who are both shaking their heads no. I look over at Haruhisa and then Keya and say, “I’ll take that bet and raise you one million. Two million at +4000 to win in under 30 seconds. Deal?”

He nods yes and walks back to his seat. I touch gloves and walk back to my corner, where Bellamy and O both say have you lost your fucking mind? I just shrug and await the bell to ring. When it does, Keya stays put, and I hear Haruhisa yelling for him to just stay away for the thirty seconds. So, that is his plan just to run. I rush towards him and he runs to the other side of the cage. Fine, I’m quicker than anyone I know so, I use that speed and pin him against the cage. He struggles to get away, but I use what Lucas has taught me and change levels. I pick him up over my shoulder and take three quick steps before jumping and slamming him to the mat. His head hits the canvas hard, knocking him senseless. The ref doesn’t call it right away, so I jump on him and land two hard elbows, opening a gash on his head. The ref steps in and the fight is over in 18 seconds.

I’m grabbed from behind and lifted into the air by Bellamy. When he puts me down, it seems like everyone I know is in the cage with me. I look over at Haruhisa and his face is contorted and red. Once the final announcement is made, I walk out of the cage and over to him and ask, “So, here is my account number go ahead and wire the 80 million.” I stand there with Bellamy, Lucas and O watching as he wires the money into my account. All I can think is ‘Holy shit!’ My next stop is Sloan who wires the 8 million to my account. She smiles and says, “I never know what to expect from you. How is Reed?”

I laugh, “He’s fine. Why don’t you stop by sometime? The Untouchable is at the docks for now and I’m fighting in the UFC again next week if you want to come. It’s in Dubai and we will be there for a week, if you can get the time off just let me know.”

“Thanks, I’ll talk to Mickey.”

I head to the locker room to change and text Clarke.

Me: Hey, what time are you getting off. She was supposed to get off at 7 but it is already 8 now.

Clarke: Shouldn’t be long, now. Why?

Me: Can I pick you up and take you to a late dinner?

Clarke: Sure. Is everything ok?

Me: Everything is awesome. I just made 88 million dollars in 18 seconds and feel like celebrating with my girl.

Clarke: What the hell are you talking about?

Me: I just had a rematch with a guy from the tournament and won. Some guy made a side bet with me and now we are 88 million dollars richer. I’ll come by the hospital and wait for you to get off.

Clarke: Alright. You are crazy. You shouldn’t be fighting in illegal fights with your UFC fight coming up. What if you had gotten hurt?

Me: Didn’t happen so I’m good. Tell Lilian I will have her contract when I get there. Love you! See you soon.

Twenty minutes later, I arrive at the hospital and enter the ER. When I get to the nurses’ station, I find Lilian at the computer. “Hey, Lilian! Is Clarke finished yet?”

“I think she is still with a patient. Let me finish up here and I will see if I can find her for you.”

“Thanks, and here is the contract that I promised you. Take a look at it and have your attorney check it over if you want. It is pretty straight forward but I don’t want you to sign it if you aren’t comfortable with it. You will be required to sign an NDA, since some of the research is funded by the government but other than that it is a simple employee contract.”

I leave the paperwork with her and then take a seat and wait. An hour later, Clarke finally comes walking over to me. She looks tired as always and I say, “How about we just pick something up on the way home. You look tired.”

“I am but you wanted to go out and celebrate. I’m sure I will get a second wind and be fine.”

“We don’t need to go out to celebrate, just being with you is fine with me. We can get something on the way home, eat, relax in the sauna and then I will give you your bath and snuggle in bed. That’s all I need.”

“Lexa you are amazing and always know what I need. Did you drive here?”

“Nope, O dropped me off so we would only have one car. I can drive if you want, though.”

When we get into the car, I hand her my phone with the picture gallery open and tell her to flip through the pictures. I took pictures of the plane and wanted her to see them. She flips through them and then asks, “Why am I looking at pictures of a plane that looks like it has been turned into a house.”

“You are looking at pictures of our new plane. I bought it today and it is being prepared for our flight to Dubai. I’m having AST Enterprises panted on it. It will be used for the company but also personal use. What do you think?”

“Seriously, you bought a plane and not just a small private plane, but a jumbo jet?”

“Um, yeah. Is that not okay?”

“Sweetie, you don’t have to ask me if what you spend your money on is okay. It is your money, and you spend it however you want. I just can’t believe that you bought a freaking jumbo jet.”

“Well, we can use it for the company, and it is considered a business expense. Plus, now we can go anywhere anytime we want.”

“You are…crazy, but smart. How are you this smart at business given…uh…”

“Given the fact that I grew up the way I did and didn’t go to college. Is that what you were thinking?”

“Uh, yeah. But not the way you made it sound. I’m just amazed at…how you can handle everything that has happened to you, when I am struggling just to…well handle what happened with Finn. I mean you are crazy smart and can speak like a ton of languages, just think what you could have been if you had been born somewhere else. You could have been the head of Microsoft or something.”

“Clarke, what Finn did to you was traumatic and it takes time to get over something like that. Especially, if it is the only bad thing that has happened to you. I think I am able to handle what I went through because I had been conditioned all my life to one bad thing after another. I still struggle with it sometimes and occasionally have flashbacks but when I think about what I have now…I guess it makes all the bad things worth living through to know that it brought me here to you.”

“I love you, Ceilo! I wish you hadn’t had to go through everything you have but I’m glad that you are here with me now. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you weren’t there for me.”


	64. Clarke/Lexa

Clarke  
The past couple of weeks have gone by in a blur. I have been working so much that by the time I get home all I can do is take a bath and fall into bed with Lexa. She has been amazing, every night when I get off, she bathes me and washes my hair. She also makes sure to send lunch everyday to the hospital for Lilian and myself and when I get home after our bath, she makes sure I at least eat a sandwich. No matter how tired she is from training for the fight, she always takes care of me. Friday can’t get here soon enough. Although I’m going to miss working at the hospital, I’m ready to have more time to spend with Lexa.

Lexa and mom have spent all week finding a place for the research project. I think they finally found what they were looking for. They were able to find a building that had been used for some drug trail research and Lexa bought it with all the equipment that had been left. Mom was pretty excited and said that it wouldn’t take much work to get the place set up for what we needed.

I think that between Lucas and mom, they have talked Niko into moving here and working with the project as head chemist. Mom really likes having Sabrina around and so does Asher. Asher insisted that Sabrina go on Asher’s Saturday adventure with Lexa last weekend. Everything seems to be falling into place on the project. Mom has hired two general practitioner doctors and four other nurses on top of Lilian, who will be the head nurse. I just hope the weeks’ vacation gives me a renewed energy and time to rest. I have been so tired for the last month, I haven’t felt like doing anything other than work and sleep.

Lexa  
This week has gone by extremely fast. I have been so busy training and trying to help Abby locate the perfect facility for the research project, I haven’t had time to hang out with the group or even drop in and see Clarke at work. We finally found the perfect location and Abby and Niko have been working to get it set up and figure out what equipment we still need. Abby was also able to find an inventor/researcher for my applied science division. His name is Marcus Kane and Abby described him to me as being like Lucius Fox in the Batman comics and movies. Apparently, Raven the physical therapist that worked with Ash was also going to be helping out with both projects.

Lucas has been extremely helpful in my training and I feel extremely comfortable going to the ground game with Jewel in this fight. I can’t wait until tomorrow morning when everyone loads up on the plane and we head to Dubai. The contract I worked out with Dana this time is a little different. It is still a one fight contract but this one is a pay-per-view event and my fight is the co-main event so the contract includes what they call ppv points, which is based on the number of PPV’s they sell. I will still receive $50,000 for showing up and the bonuses are the same. Unfortunately, he would only give me 2% of merchandising this time because of the ppv points.

Clarke got home late last night, and she still had to pack. I don’t think she got much sleep because I woke up to an empty bed which is very unusual. On the few occasions she wakes up before me, she lays in bed and snuggles until I wake up. It is still incredibly early, only five am and we aren’t scheduled for take-off until noon. I decide to give it a few minutes before I go looking for her. I must have dozed back off because I woke up thirty minutes later and the bed was still empty. I was worried so I got up to look for her. I thought she may be in the closet doing some last-minute packing, but when I passed the bathroom, I could hear her in there.

I knocked on the door, “Babe, are you okay?” She didn’t answer, but I could hear her getting sick. I knocked again, “I’m coming in.” When I opened the door, I see her hugging the toilet. I went to her and held her hair back after getting a cool wash rag to put on the back of her neck.

She looks up at me and says, “Thanks, I think I’m just dehydrated from working so much lately. I will be fine in a bit.”

“I’m going to go get an ice pack and some Gatorade. Will you be okay until I get back?”

She nods and I kiss the top of her head before I leave. When I return with the items in hand, she is back in the bed. I walk over and place the ice pack behind her neck and open the Gatorade for her. She smiles, “I feel much better now. I’m just going to try and get a little bit more sleep.”

I nod and crawl into bed beside her so that she can lay on my chest. When the alarm went off at nine, Clarke was feeling better. We gathered our luggage and headed upstairs for breakfast where we met everyone that was going. Asher came running at me as soon as he saw me and Sabrina wasn’t far behind him, even though I hadn’t had much interaction with her she followed Asher in everything he did. She was two years younger, but he didn’t seem to mind her tagging along and I was glad he had someone to help keep his mind off of Ash being gone. So far Ash had checked in every week, like clockwork and I had been getting the updated information from Julian like we agreed.

Everyone was loaded up on the plane by noon and we were ready for take-off. Clarke seems to be doing better and hasn’t gotten sick anymore, but I’m still a little worried about her. Everyone settles in for the seventeen-hour flight. Abby and Clarke check out the med bay while everyone else relaxes. Bellamy and Asher are fighting over the PlayStation until I show Asher to on of the smaller lounges equipped with one. Then him and Sabrina disappear for a few hours until they need a snack. There is plenty of room for everyone to spread out and relax and have a good time. We won’t land until around 5 am tomorrow, but there are plenty of beds for everyone to sleep in.

Around eight, I whispered into Clarke’s ear, “I have an idea.” When she looked at me a wiggled my eyebrows and she smiled.

“Oh, really what might that be?”

“I was thinking we might try out the bed in the suite and join the-mile-high club. That is if you are feeling up to it.”

“What about the fact that everyone we are close to is onboard, including my mother?”

“The suite is downstairs under the cockpit, no one will hear us if that’s what you are worried about.”

“In that case what are we waiting for.”

We got up and headed downstairs, Clarke said she was tired from her late night at work the night before so no one would give it a second thought. As soon as the door was shut to our room. I began kissing Clarke slowly, softly. “Are you sure you feel up to this after being sick this morning?”

Her answer came not in a spoken reply but a kiss on my neck. I shivered as I felt her breath on my neck, her nimble fingers gently pushing up my shirt and pulling it over my head before tossing it aside. Her lips eagerly traveling down my neck, onto my chest, and encircled a nipple casually planned out every step of this adventure. Her hands moved downward, slipping my shorts down as far as she could and then pushing them the rest of the way with her foot.

“Hey,” I say amazed at how quickly things were moving, “do you want me to get you naked, too?”

“Of course,” says Clarke. “That’s part of sex.”

“Okay, just checking.” My fingers moved to the hem of Clarke’s sundress, then slowly lifted it off over her head, revealing a perfect body. I take a second and just stare at the beautiful person in front of me and whisper, “So beautiful.”

“Touch me,” Clarke breathed. “I want to feel your hands all over me.”

Okay, that was hot, and I love when she takes control, telling me what to do. “Are your boobs still sore?” I ask, my fingers caressing soft skin but stopping short of the mounds I want so badly to feel in my hands.

“They’re still a bit tender if someone bumps into me, but they can handle being touched. Please do it. I just want to feel loved.”

“You ARE loved. I love you more than anything in the world.” I am determined to make Clarke see that, to make her feel like the most precious human being in the world, because that is exactly what she is. I cup her breasts, teasing her nipples with my thumbs, and covering her face in kisses. I decide I am going to kiss everything to make Clarke feel just how loved she is. Our previous love making always seems to get heated and rushed. This time I want to take it slow and worship every part of her. I move down her neck, over her shoulder, and down her arms, kissing her hand and sucking each individual finger. I moved to the other side, starting with her fingers, and working my way up until I was back to Clarke’s chest. Feeling emboldened by this new degree of intimacy, I move on to her exquisite breasts, kissing my way around each one before teasing one nipple, then the other, with her tongue. Clarke moaned softly, her fingers now working their way into my hair. I finally move on, planting kisses on her stomach. I slow down when I find myself approaching another mound I desperately want to touch. “Clarke, are you sure you feel…”

“No,” Clarke murmured.

“Oh, okay,” I say, withdrawing quickly.

“No, I mean, come here. I want to do it together.”

“Oh, Okay.” Following Clarke’s gesture, I stretch out so that Clarke and I were facing each other.

“What do you…what do you want me to do?”

“Do what I do,” says Clarke. Her fingers trail down my skin and then slip between my legs, finding me wet and ready. She slowly caressed her swollen folds, savoring it. I was unable to contain a small moan of pleasure as I hesitantly reached for Clarke’s heat, caressing her in the same way. I was surprised (I’m not sure why) to find Clarke just as wet, just as swollen, and it turned me on immensely. Another moan escapes me, this time more in response to the feel of Clarke’s slick folds under my fingers than from anything she was doing to me. But that was the thing wasn’t it? In my previous flings, I had always kept most of my focus on giving pleasure to my partners, because I didn’t like the thought of needing much from anyone. The only exception was Ash and she felt the same way. But this was different. Clarke wasn’t a fling, and I find I am enjoying touching and being touched in equal measure, for the first time in my life. This is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Sure, Clarke and I have had sex before but there is just something different about this time. Clarke’s finger found my clit and began stroking, lightly and then harder, her other hand working my right breast. I involuntary rock my hips forward, wordlessly begging Clarke to touch me more, do it harder. She did, adding another finger so she was now rubbing both sides of my clit at once. Following her lead, I sought out Clarke’s own sensitive spot and begin stroking her the same way, paying attention to Clarke’s cues to figure out the pace. While my right hand did this, my left-hand creeps upward to her right breast, fingers lightly circling a taught nipple. My lips find hers, reveling in the seemingly endless beautiful sensations we are making together. 

Then Clarke’s fingers move to my entrance and pause as if asking a silent question. In answer, I move my hips to take her in. Her fingers, already wet with my juices, easily slip inside, causing me to gasp and pull back from our kiss.

“Is this okay?” Clarke murmured. “Do you like this?”

“Yes. Yes, definitely.”

“Do it to me too. I want it. I want you there.”

I nod and cautiously enter my girlfriend, feeling like I have just been granted access to the holiest temple in the world. I mimic Clarke’s rhythm as the blonde begins to move her fingers inside of her. We both move in and out, thrusting deeper and faster, until I feel Clarke clenching around my fingers. I am so amazed to be making her come that the very thought triggers my own orgasm, the sweetest I had felt in a long time. Then we lay panting, holding each other close.

“Clarke, that was…” I search for the right word, but none seem adequate.

“Beautiful,” gasped Clarke. “Lexa, it was perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re thanking me?”

“Yes, for making me feel good again. We have both been so busy and I have been so tired…and honestly for some reason, I have been thinking about the…incident. I’m not sure why but I have, and I don’t know how to explain it but what you just did…it made me feel loved and wanted again. So, yes thank you.”

“Clarke you are loved and wanted. I also want you to know that you can talk to me when you are feeling these things. I’m here for you. Also, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt quite as good as you make me feel, so maybe I should be the one thanking you?”

“Yeah,” I kiss her, fingering her soft hair. Soon, I could hear the soft snores as she fell into the first deep sleep, I think she has had in weeks.

Clarke

I woke up early this morning feeling sick. I look at the clock and it is only four am. Our flight doesn’t leave until noon and I was hoping to get some sleep. The last few weeks have been hell at work and for some reason I have been thinking about the rape a lot. I’m not sure why but it just seems to creep into my mind at odd times and makes me feel dirty, like no one will ever love me after it. I know that isn’t true because Lexa shows me everyday how much she loves me by making sure I have food at lunch and bathing me at night when I’m to tired but…I don’t know.

Now I’m awake and feeling sick, shit I have to puke. I get up and run to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. I try to figure out what is wrong with me, running through different diagnoses in my head. I feel my forehead, I don’t have a fever. No body aches, so it’s not the flu. The only symptom I have is sick to my stomach. I must just be dehydrated and run down from the past couple of weeks because the only other reason would be…no that can’t be it. I took the Plan B right after it happened. I’m just dehydrated, that’s all.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been in the bathroom when Lexa comes in. She immediately gets a cool washcloth and puts on my neck while holding up my hair. She asks if I’m okay and I tell her that I think I’m dehydrated. She goes to get me an ice pack and Gatorade. After she leaves, I feel good enough to go back to bed. She comes back and I drink some of the drink and curl up against her and fall back asleep.

When I wake back up, I feel fine. We have breakfast and go catch our plane. The plane is amazing and around eight that night Lexa propositions me with joining the mile-high-club. Something is different about this time; I can’t put my finger on it, but it is perfect and amazing. I think it is just what I needed. She makes me feel so loved. This time unlike all the others we take our time and go slow, worshipping each other’s bodies. After we both come down from our orgasms, I feel the need to thank Lexa for making me feel loved and wanted. She is confused as to why and I confess that I have been thinking about the incident. She lets me know that she loves me and is there for me and I fall asleep with her fingers running through my hair.

The next morning at four am, I wake up feeling sick again. It’s not as bad as yesterday but I still can’t figure out what the problem is. I made sure to drink plenty of water so…the only other possibility is…no I can’t be…Shit thinking about it is making it worse. I run to the bathroom and loose it. I hear Lexa walk in and get a washcloth and then feel her lift my hair and start to rub my back. 

“Ya amar, are you alright?”

“Yeah, just a little motion sickness. That’s all, I will be fine in a few minutes.” God, I hope that’s all it is. I feel guilty not telling Lexa the possibility but…I can’t be pregnant. What the hell am I going to do if I am. I guess I will need to somehow get a pregnancy test without anyone noticing.

“Babe, I think I’m going to go ahead and take a shower. Why don’t you go lay back down for a while?”

“Or I could join you in the shower and help you wash your hair. No funny business, just shower.”

“As nice as that sounds, I think I just want a long hot shower and I don’t want to have to worry about maybe throwing up on you.”

“Sure, I understand.”

I could tell that Lexa was disappointed and I know she just wants to help, but I need time to think. I took a long hot shower and thought about things, like how long had it been since the incident. It has been two months and two days…shit I just realized that I haven’t had my period the whole time. Shit, this can’t be happening!

What will I do if…if I am pregnant? Do I want a kid? Yes, with Lexa not like this. What…what will Lexa say? I know she wants kids with me, she told me that already. But would she want me to keep this one? Would I want to keep it after the way it was conceived, but that wasn’t its fault? I don’t think I can abort it, that is too much like murder. God, help me I hope I’m wrong about this. I need to just calm down until I can find out for sure.


	65. Lexa/Clarke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter talks some about rape.

Lexa

It isn’t long after Clarke finishes her shower that we land in Dubai. As we exit the airport, there is a guy holding a sign with my name on it. I walk over to him and he says, “My name is Ali Issawi and I will be your driver while you are here. If you follow me, I will take you to the van and we will head to the hotel. You will be staying at the W Abu Dhabi on Yas Island where the fights are being held. Stryker, once you are checked in to the hotel you are to meet with Dana in conference room B. The rest of your group is free to explore. Your meeting shouldn’t take longer than an hour.”

I thank him and we follow him to the van. On the drive to the hotel, Clarke says that while I’m in my meeting she is going to explore the hotel a bit and then she will meet me back in the room. About two hours later, my meeting is over, and I am heading back to the room to meet Clarke. The meeting was pretty standard stuff, telling me what is required of me while in Dubai. There are two fan meet and greets other than that it is just the weigh in and fight. I can’t wait to show Clarke around and I want to go see Indra. I have another tattoo that I want to get. 

When I get to the room, I don’t see Clarke on the lower level which means she is probably in the bedroom. I head upstairs but don’t see her right away. As I walk farther into the bedroom, I hear a sound that makes my blood run cold: sobbing. Not quiet, restrained sobbing, but loud, depths-of-despair sobs. Clarke was crying like the world was ending, and I couldn’t tell where she was.

“Clarke?” I called, panic creeping into my voice. I had only heard her cry like this once and that was when I walked in on Finn raping her. Walking around to the other side of the king size bed, I finally saw her. She was sitting on the floor, arms around her knees, clutching a small white object. She looked up at me helplessly, her beautiful green eyes filled with pain.

“Sweetie, what’s going on?” I ask gently. I kneel in front of Clarke, putting my hands on her knees.

“I can’t…” Clarke gulped. She held her hands out, presenting me with the thing she was holding, looking deeply ashamed.

I had no idea what she was handing me. I had never seen one before. It kind of looked like a thermometer but instead of showing numbers for your temperature the little window was showing a plus sign. “Um…babe, what is this? What does the plus sign mean?”

“It’s…have you never…it’s a pregnancy test. The plus means…”

She didn’t finish her sentence because she began to sob uncontrollably again. I pull her up to her feet and scoop her up into my arms. I then carry her to the couch and sit her in my lap. Deep in my brain, I know exactly what she is trying to tell me, but it seemed to take time for the understanding to reach the forefront of my mind. The reality just seems too unbearable to acknowledge.

“You’re…you’re pregnant?” I say slowly.

Clarke nods, tears streaming down her face.

“How…how? How can you be pregnant?”

“Oh, Clarke.” I hold her trembling in my arms, feeling like my heart had dropped down to my stomach. This had been my worst fear that somehow that asshole Finn would continue to hurt my Clarke even after what he did. Now my baby was faced with an impossible choice all because of Finn.

“I don’t know what to do,” Clarke sobbed. “I don’t know what to do.”

I held her tight and she snuggled her face into the crook of my neck as she sat on my lap. “You don’t have to have this baby,” I say softly. “I can take you someplace, have it taken care of. No one even has to know.”

“But what if this is my only chance, to have a baby?” Clarke asks plaintively. “You are so good with Asher and…you said you wanted to have a kid with me after the last UFC fight. I know you were on morphine…but…What if…what if I have an abortion and then can’t have any more. There is always that risk? Plus, I don’t think I can have an abortion. It is too much like murder.”

“It is YOUR choice,” I acknowledge. “If you want to have it, then do it. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Yes, I said I wanted to have kids with you but only if you want them too and I definitely didn’t think it would happen like this. I think you’d be an amazing mother.”

“But…what if they try to take it away or what if it looks like him, and it affects my ability to bond with it?”

I blow out a breath. “Well, then I don’t know.”

Clarke’s tears began anew. “I don’t know what to do!”

“I know. I know, Ya Amar. You don’t have to decide right now. Whatever you do, though, I’m here for you.”

“Sometimes I can still feel him inside me. Forcing himself on me. I tried to resist and fight back but he was too strong. I hit him and scratched him, but he hit me back so hard that it knocked me out for a few minutes and…when I woke up, he had me pinned down and I couldn’t move.”

I hold her tight and run my fingers through her hair. “Hey, it’s not your fault. There wasn’t much you could have done.” I can see it in my mind: Clarke trying to fight back, frightened, crying the way she is now, trying desperately to defend herself against that bastard while he beat her unconscious. Clarke should never have been subjected to that kind of violence, never.

“I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn’t listen.” Clarke continued.

“He is a monster, okay?” I say fiercely. “You can’t reason with monsters. If you decide you want to have it, I promise I won’t let the Collin’s take it away from us no matter what.”

“Okay, I just feel like I should have done more to fight back…”

“Listen to me,” I interrupt. “There is nothing anyone could have done to stop what happened.”

She pulls back and looks at me, “You could’ve. It wouldn’t have happened to you!”

“That’s not true and you know it. Finn might not have been able to do it to me, but Omar and at least five others were. I know I never told you the whole story so…here goes. I want you to realize that it can happen to anyone, you did nothing wrong. When I was being held by Ahmed, I wouldn’t submit to their teachings. I wouldn’t do what they told me to do. You should know by now that I have the stubbornness of a mountain goat, the loyalty of a puppy and some say a heart the size of Alaska. I don’t know about the last one, but I do know that I have a stubborn streak a mile long, so instead of doing the smart thing and let them think I was with them, I resisted. Because I resisted, they tortured me. The beatings I could take, even the hot irons on my back but once they realized I was a woman, they figured raping me would be the way to break me and they weren’t wrong to an extent.” I pause to get my thoughts together.

“Lexa you don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do. I need you to know everything. They chained my hands to the wall and laid me across a table like Finn had you, bent over the table. Then they chained my feet to the floor as wide as they would go. Then Omar went first, followed by the rest of his squad. I counted five before I passed out from the pain. They did this twice a day for at least a week before I figured out that I need to make them believe that they had broken me. They hit me, bit me, and fucked me so hard I didn’t think that I would ever walk right again. In the end, I got my vengeance on all of them and Ahmed for letting them do that to me. So, you see Ya Amar, even the strongest person can be taken advantage of under the right circumstance. You have nothing to be ashamed of and neither do I. We both survived and now we have each other to hold onto when we need to.” 

“I know that I have told you before about the way I shut down, well the therapist I saw in Afghanistan, Dr. Santiago explained it to me like this: Most rape victims disassociate and experience the whole rape like an out of body experience. Disassociation is a survival mechanism, natural to all humans. Sadly, many rape victims stay disassociated for the rest of their life. They may fluctuate in the degree to which they disassociate; what was a tool for surviving their rape becomes a learned coping strategy.

Dr. Santiago helped me figure out that for me, it meant I couldn’t feel things in the moment. People always remarked at how calm or cool I was, but it was because I had developed a way of living my life so that I was always somewhat removed from the experiences of my surroundings. At times it could be helpful as it was a way to numb pain, but it also meant I couldn’t experience joy either. I was living my life with a glass wall between me and the rest of the world. My trust in the world and others were shattered too, not that I had much to begin with.

I struggled with a severe blow to my self-worth, again not that I had much to begin with. But even if you don’t completely lose your self-worth, you end up in a never-ending battle, struggling to maintain your self-worth. I mean you were just treated as less than human. They had no care for my feelings, for my fear or for the pain I experienced in the encounter I just had with them. They just treated me as an object to fulfill their need for power or control or dominance. That feeling of not even being worthy of being seen as a human being can stay with you forever.

When I met Ash that was how I felt. I felt like I wasn’t human, I was just an object that was disposable. I didn’t care whether I lived or died as long as I did my job, whatever it was. I had no control over anything in my life not even my body. My emotions were gone all I knew was that I had to do what I was told, or I would be sent back to solitary and Omar. When I met Ash, I saw some of what I felt reflected in her eyes. I didn’t know her story, but I knew she was in pain like me. She treated me like a person though. The only one to do that since Blake. For that reason, I felt the need to prove myself to her, to make her trust me. The more time we spent together the more human I started to feel, that’s why I thought we were meant to be together. But then I met you…and I knew you were different and I wanted more with you.”

“Lexa, I’m sorry…I…I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just needed you to know that you are not alone. I am here for whatever you need. If you want to have the baby, that’s fine. If not that’s fine too.”

“Thank you. I do have a question though, I thought that you captured Ahmed and turned him over to the military. Is that how you repaid him for letting them torture you? I know that you killed everyone else, right?”

“Yes, I killed Omar and his men. I’m quite sure when I told the story I left this part out. After killing his men and then him, I cut off his head and his dick. I then wrapped them both in plastic and took them with me. The next part may make you decide that I am as big a monster as they were, but I feel like now is the time to get everything out. I don’t want to have any secrets from you. When I infiltrated Ahmed’s camp and captured him, I took both of Omar’s body parts with me. I instructed Reed and Jose to stand guard at the door while we waited on Bellamy’s guys to get there and I used Omar’s dick to violate Ahmed they way that had me. I needed to make him feel as helpless as I did, and I don’t regret it one bit. That night I had Finn pinned down with my knife on his dick, I had every intention of doing the same thing to him. If the cops hadn’t shown up, I was going to cut it off and use it to do to him what he had done to you. I’m sorry if this makes you think that I am a monster but sometimes when bad things happen the darkness takes over and I have to do bad things to those who have hurt me or my loved ones. I need you to know that you can talk to me about what happened with Finn, I’ve been threw something similar so maybe I can help. If you need it.” When I finished, I could feel the tears running down my face.

“Babe, I could never think that you were a monster.” She says as she wipes my tears away. “I love you and nothing will ever change that.”

“I love you too. I do have a question though, I thought you said you were going to take plan B so that this didn’t happen?”

“I did take the emergency contraception. I didn’t think I would get pregnant.”

For fuck’s sake, was there no justice in this world? She did everything right, and it still ended up wrong. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. You don’t deserve any of this.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“To some degree it is. If I had never come into your life…Should I call your mom?”

“No, it is not your fault and I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn’t come into my life. I don’t know probably. I know she is going to freak out but…yeah. Please call her and ask her to come up here while I go try and pull myself together a little.”

“Sure thing.” Before she can get up, I pull her in for a deep passionate kiss and when I pull away, I say, “Everything will work out, I promise.” She nods and gets up.

I call Abby and ask her if she can come to our room because I need to discuss some things about the fight. After I hang up, I ask Clarke if she would like me to stay or if she would like to talk to her mom alone. She says she wants me to stay, so that is what I do.

Clarke

I can’t believe this is fucking happening. I took the stupid Plan B it was supposed to keep this from happening. Lexa has been amazing as always; she know exactly what to say and do. She even told me the horrible story of what happened to her while she was in Ahmed’s camp. Hearing her story actually made me feel somewhat better because it made me feel as thought it didn’t happen because I was too weak to stop him. Now I just have to tell my mom and then figure out what to do.

I’m still in the bathroom staring at my reflection in the mirror when I hear Lexa downstairs talking to mom. I splash some more water on my face and still my nerves before I head down. As I walk down the stairs, I hear Lexa say, “The only thing that you really have to do this week is be in my corner on fight night, the rest of the week you are free to do whatever.”

Mom says, “Okay, that gives me time to go shopping for equipment for the lab and there are a couple of doctors that I have set up interviews with, one being a renowned OBGYN who specializes in victims of rape. Her name is Dalia Al-Mubarak. I have worked with her many times while with doctors without borders and she would be a great addition to the research project, but she won’t be cheap.”

“Abby, I trust your judgement. Offer her whatever it takes to get her onboard, housing, moving expenses and whatever salary she requires. If you say we need her then get her.”

“Alright, I have a meeting with her in the morning. Will you come with me?”

“If you need me too. Sure.”

As I am listening to this conversation, all I can think is how ironic it is that they are talking about this with what I am about to tell my mom. I walk up behind Lexa and wrap my arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. I say hello to my mom and act like I didn’t hear their conversation.

“What are you two talking about?”

Mom looks at me and says, “Honey, what’s wrong? Have you been crying?” She then looks at Lexa who just motions for everyone to sit.

Lexa takes a seat on the couch and mom takes the chair across from the couch and I sit as close to Lexa as I can without being in her lap. She wraps her arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close. Mom watches our interaction closely then says, “Someone needs to start talking. What is going on?”

I lose it and start to cry again, then take the pregnancy test and lay it on the coffee table between us and mom. She looks at me and then takes the test and sees the plus sign. “Oh, honey. How…did you-did you not use the emergency contraceptive after?”

“I did mom but-but…I guess it didn’t work. What should I do? I don’t know what…I don’t know what to do.”

Mom got up and came over to wrap me in a hug. “Honey, it is up to you. You don’t have to have his baby if you don’t want to. You have options. How far along are you?”

“It has been eight weeks and two days since the incident.”

“Okay, it is still early enough to obtain a medication abortion. You could just take the pill, go home, and wait for your body to rid itself of everything he left behind. You could rest in your own bed, and Lexa and I will be there.”

“I know mom, but what about the risks and the fact that it would be murder? We want to have kids someday and what if…what if I abort this one and then can’t have anymore?”

“Sweetie, you have time to think about this, but if you wait to long…you will have to go to the clinic for an invasive procedure.”

“Mom, what should I do?”

“Clarke, I’m sure you’d be a great mother to any child you decide to have. The question is not whether you can do this, but whether you want to do this. You’re the only one who can decide that. You know that I will be here for you whatever you decide.”

Lexa speaks, “I know I have already said this, but I feel the need to say it again. I’m not going anywhere either way. If you decide to have it, I will raise it with you. If you will allow me to, but if you don’t want to have it. I understand and will be with you the whole time. Just know that if you do have it, I promise the Collins’ will not take it away from us.”

I take Lexa’s face in my hands and kiss her. “Thank you for supporting me on this. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it-I mean, me considering not continuing the pregnancy.”

Lexa shrugs, “I’ve never been in your position, so I don’t really know what I would do, but even if I had been, what would be right for me wouldn’t necessarily be right for you. I just want you to be okay.”

“I’m only glad you’re here. I could never have gotten through this without you.”

“I’ll be here as long as you will let me be. Hopefully forever.”

Mom says, “Clarke, I have an appointment with an OBGYN tomorrow that I am trying to recruit for the research project. I have asked Lexa to come with me. If she has time would you want her to examine you and confirm the pregnancy.”

“I think that would be a good idea. I need to treat this as if I’m going to keep it until I make a decision. I need to stay healthy and do what is right for the baby.”

Mom says, “Everything will be okay, honey. Why don’t you two go out and explore some to take your mind off of everything.”

Lexa says, “That sounds like a good idea. Why don’t I take you shopping? There is a great mall not far from here and a tattoo studio next to it that I want to visit. I’ve been thinking about getting another tattoo and I just decided that I’m going to do it and I want Indra to do it. She is the one who did my other ones.”

Mom says, “Seriously? Lexa Trikru is volunteering to go shopping. I never thought I would see the day. I can’t wait to tell Fletch about this.”

Lexa says, “Ha, ha very funny Abby. I actually don’t mind shopping with Clarke.”

Mom gets up and hugs me then Lexa and says, “I will see you for dinner. Go have fun and don’t worry everything will work out, I promise.”

“Thanks, mom.”


	66. Lexa/Clarke

Lexa  
After Abby leaves, I look at Clarke and ask, “What do you feel like doing? Do you want to go shopping or site seeing or just take a nap?”

“What time is it?”

“Almost 11:30.”

“Do you mind if I take a hot shower and then we go get lunch? Then we can see what we feel like doing after that.”

“Not at all that sounds good to me. I will unpack our things while you shower.”

As soon as Clarke is in the shower, I call Mr. Cantrell and tell him to figure out a way to keep the baby away from Finn and his family just in case she decides to keep it. He promises to research it and find a way.

Two hours later we are finishing up a late lunch and Clarke says, “So what are you thinking for your tattoo?”

“Well, I want to get one that represents us. I was thinking that I would get a tree with an orange sky representing the sunset giving way to night with a moon, since you are the moon, and I am the sky. Under the tree, will sit a Griffin. The tree is for my last name, Trikru and the Griffin for you. What do you think?”

“I think that is amazing! Would you mind if I were to get a matching one?”

“Of course not. That would be awesome!”

“Alright then, let’s do it.”

We head over to the tattoo studio only to find that Indra isn’t working today. The dude said she would be in on Wednesday, so we made an appointment for that evening. Since we were so close to the mall, we decided to go look around until time to meet everyone for dinner. Clarke seemed to be feeling a little better and enjoying herself as we walked around.

As we walked, we passed the jewelry store where I assume Ash bought our necklaces when we were here last. I took Clarke’s hand and pulled her inside. “Lexa, what are we doing in here?”

“I need to buy you a charm for your bracelet so, I thought I would let you pick it out.”

“Babe, you don’t need to buy me anything. I have you and that is all I need.”

“Nope, the point of the bracelet is to collect charms that mean something to you or us. This is our first trip together as a couple, so you need to pick one out. If you won’t then I will just do it for you. Plus, I’m thinking about getting me a necklace. I miss wearing one, but I don’t want to wear the one I have.”

“Fine, I’ll look at charms, you go look at necklaces.”

I kiss her cheek and walk over to the chains and browse around. I pick out one and notice that they have a few charms over here as well. As I’m looking, I see a griffin charm and can’t resist getting it for my necklace. I glance over to Clarke and see she has moved away from the charms and is now looking at rings. 

I start to walk over there, but then I see her glance around like she is trying to make sure I don’t see her. I turn around quickly so she doesn’t see me watching. When I look back around, she is trying one on. I give her a few minutes and when I see her hand it back to the saleswomen, I walk over. I sneak up behind her and rest my head on her shoulder while hugging her from behind.

That’s when I notice she is looking at engagement rings. I can’t help but smile, “See anything you like, Ya Amar?”

“Um…huh…yes, I found a charm of Yas Island. Did you find something?”

“Yes, but I meant did you see a ring?”

“What? No, I was just about to come find you. The charms are right there by the rings that’s all.”

I look at the saleswoman and she is smirking, so I know something is up. The girl rings up our purchases and as we head out, I let Clarke get ahead of me. I get the saleswoman’s attention and whisper, “Did she see something that she liked?” The woman nodded yes. “Box it up and I will be back in a few minutes to get it.” She just smiled.

We shopped for a while longer and when Clarke went to the bathroom, I slipped back to the store and bought her the ring. It was a platinum two carat heart cut diamond solitaire. The sides of the band has a unique leaf pattern on tree branches. On one side there was a crescent moon woven into the branches. Each leaf had a black diamond in the middle of them. It was a one of a kind and it was amazing. I asked if there was a band that went with it and she showed me a black platinum band that had the same leaf pattern except the diamonds on it were regular ones making the two rings combine into an awesomely unique set. The band also had a black diamond on one side that fit into the crescent moon perfectly making it a full moon. It was perfect. “I’ll take them both!”

The saleswoman looked at me like I was insane and said, “You realize that the pair is one of a kind and costs $250,000, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware of the price. Please just ring them up quickly before she comes looking for me.”

“Alright.”

I think she is surprised when the purchase goes through because she has a strange look on her face, but she just hands me the boxes and the receipt which I tuck into my bag with my necklace. I hurry out of the store and back towards the rest rooms where I find Clarke look around for me. “Where did you go?”

“I just went down that way a bit. I was looking for a toy store to get Asher something, but I didn’t see one. You ready to head back for dinner?”

“Sure.”

Clarke

Lexa took me to a nice lunch and then we decided to get tattoos. Unfortunately, the artist wasn’t in today, so we made appointments for later in the week. We ended up going shopping instead which took my mind off of everything for a while. After shopping we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner with the group.

Everyone met downstairs in the lobby of the hotel and our driver Ali, drove us to a nice restaurant where he had reserved us a room to ourselves. Dinner was amazing and it was nice to be around everyone talking about their day. Asher and Sabrina were talking ninety miles a minute about their day on the beach and how warm the ocean was. Then Asher came over to Lexa and said, “Xa, today was Saturday and we didn’t draw an Asher adventure from the jar. Why?”

Lexa chuckles at him and says, “Buddy, is flying on a plane to a foreign country not a big enough adventure for you?”

Everyone laughs and Callie says, “Ash, did you not have an adventure with Sabrina at the beach today?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t an adventure with Xa and she promised to take me on one every Saturday until mommy got back.”

Lexa frowns, “I’m sorry buddy. How about you pick something out and tomorrow after my meeting we will go on an adventure. How does that sound?”

“Great! Can Brina and Clarke come? I already know what I want to do.”

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“I saw a mercial on tv for dune buggy rides in the desert. I want to do that!”

O speaks up and says, “That sounds like fun. Asher do you mind if everyone goes on your adventure?”

Asher says, “Nope, that would be even more awesome.”

Lexa looks at me and I say, “That sounds like a lot of fun. I’m in.”

Lexa smiles, takes my hand, and brings it to her lips for a kiss. “Alright then, I will call and book it for tomorrow afternoon after my meeting. I will text everyone later with the time.”

A few hours later, Lexa and I were snuggled in bed watching a movie while the rest of group went out drinking and dancing. She had set up the dune buggy tour for tomorrow at 3 and the meeting with mom and the doctor was at 9. We had decided to just take it easy tonight and watch TV. I tried to tell her that we could go out, but she said that she wanted to snuggle with me instead, which I am grateful for.


	67. Lexa/Clarke

Lexa

I woke up around 7:30 but decided to watch Clarke sleep for a few minutes before getting ready to meet Abby for our interview with Dr. Al-Mubarak. I lay there running my fingers gently through her hair. I can’t help but think about how hard of a decision it is for her whether to have the baby or not. I hate the way it happened, but I have to admit that I would prefer she keep it. Lately I have been thinking a lot about having one especially with her. I don’t like the fact that it would have Finn’s DNA but…I still would love to have it. I’m not going to tell her that though. I have also been doing research on the types of experiments that are taking place at the facility Ash is investigating and on bone marrow transplants. I may have an idea, but I need to run it by Abby and Dr. Al-Mubarak. It may help Clarke with the decision but in the end, it is her decision completely and I will support her either way.

She mumbles, “Why are you watching me sleep and what has you so deep in thought this early in the morning?”

I laugh, she didn’t even open her eyes. “How do you know I’m deep in thought when you haven’t even opened your eyes to look at me?”

“I can hear your brain whirling.”

“Whatever! I’m going to get ready to go meet with the doctor. You’re going too, right? In case she has time to check you out.”

“Ugh…I had almost convinced myself that yesterday was a bad dream since I didn’t wake up sick this morning. Yes, I will get up after you shower.”

We meet Abby in the lobby at 8:30 and Ali drives us to Dr. Al-Mubarak’s office downtown. As we wait, Abby says, “I have emailed her the paperwork detailing the research along with the blood sample breakdowns. Hopefully, she will have already read it and have questions. Lexa, I will let you talk to her about the pay and business end of it. That is if you feel comfortable do it.”

“Yes, ma’am. I do, what about Clarke?”

Abby replies, “I mentioned in the email that if she had time, I had someone that needed to have a pregnancy confirmed.”

Just then a woman walked into the waiting room from the back. She is short, probably around 5’2” tall and a little overweight but otherwise looks like she is in good shape. She has walnut colored skin, short black hair, and brown eyes. She approaches us and says, “I’m guessing one of you is Abby Griffin.”

Abby stands up and extends her hand, “Yes, I’m Abby and this is my daughter Clarke and Lexa Trikru. Lexa is the one funding the research project and handles most of the business side.”

She shakes Abby’s hand and then mine, “I’m Dalia Al-Mubarak, follow me to my office where we can talk. I’ve looked over the paperwork and I have to say that I’m intrigued. I do have a few questions, though.”

Abby says, “I thought you might. We will answer any questions you have to the best of our ability.”

Dr. Al-Mubarak says, “First of all where did you get these blood samples? And what type of patients are we talking about exactly?”

Abby replies, “Everything we know for sure was in the email. This research is partly funded by the CIA. The blood samples are from a Taliban camp in Afghanistan and some from a facility somewhere near Minsk, Belarus. We don’t have much information on the patients other than they all have DNA gene mutations similar to the blood samples, we assume. We have a close friend who is also an agent that is in Ukraine at the moment collecting more data and will eventually be bringing the patients to us in San Francisco. Our goal is to figure out how best to help them and evaluate any risks they have because of the mutations.”

“Do you know how the mutations are occurring?”

“From the information we found in Afghanistan, I think that the mutations are happening after conception while still in the mother’s womb. It is uncertain how the babies are being conceived and what the condition of the mothers are, which is why I want you to join the project. I need the best care for both the mothers and the children and with your specialty I think you are the best person for the job.”

“This sounds like a very interesting project but…I have a partner here and a house.”

Abby looks at me. I speak, “I understand, and I am willing to provide temporary housing, moving expenses and I will help anyway I can. What does your partner do?”

“She is a geneticist.”

Abby says, “Seriously? Would she be willing to come work on the project as well? I haven’t found one yet to work on the project and it would be great if she would be willing to.”

“Really? I’m not sure but I could talk it over with her. Um…it’s not a problem that well…”

I speak up, “Are you asking if it is a problem that your partner is a woman?”

“Well, yes. It is frowned upon here and we have to be discrete.”

“Dr. Al-Mubarak, that isn’t a problem for us. In fact, Clarke is actually my girlfriend and a doctor working on the project. You wouldn’t have to hide your relationship in California. How much would you and your partner need as far as a salary?”

“Are you serious? Here I make about $230,000 and Ariel brings home around $60,000 in your American currency.”

“What if I pay you $300,000 and Ariel $100,000 plus moving expenses and I will provide temporary housing while you find a place of your own?”

She looks to Abby and says, “Is she being serious? She is so young…”

Abby says, “She may be young, but she is smart and if she says something, she means to back it up.”

I say, “Well, Dr. Mubarak why don’t you talk it over with Ariel and let us know. Do you enjoy sports, specifically the UFC?”

“Yes, Ariel loves watching the fights.”

“Great, here are two tickets to the fights on Saturday. You will be my guests at ringside and can give us your decision then.”

A huge smile immediately lights up the doc’s face, “Are you kidding me? How…how do you have tickets? It’s been sold out since day one.”

“I’m fighting in the co-main event, so I have connections.”

“Now I do have a favor to ask of you, Doctor. Do you have time to confirm a pregnancy and give an exam if the pregnancy is confirmed for Clarke?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, let’s move to an exam room.”

Clarke

I sit in the office and listen while mom and Lexa talk with the doctor about the research project, but I only half hear what they are saying. I’m too busy thinking about the fact that if the doctor agrees to examine me, I will know for certain if I’m pregnant or not. Then I will have to decide what to do. I’m brought out if my head by Lexa touching my shoulder.

“Hey, babe. Are you coming?”

“Huh, what?”

“Clarke, Dr. Al-Mubarak said for us to follow her to the exam room so she can…you know examine you.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you. I was-I was caught up in my head. Alright let’s go.”

We all follow the doctor two doors down to an examination room equipped with an ultrasound machine and other instruments. Once I have urinated in a cup and have my blood drawn, we wait in the examining room. I’m feeling nervous in just a gown with a towel wrapped around my waist. Lexa was examining the credentials on the wall as we waited.

Mom says, “Lexa, I wouldn’t be recruiting Dr. Al-Mubarak if she wasn’t qualified. She has written articles for at least ten medical journals. She is highly qualified and well respected.”

“Just checking,” said Lexa, moving to Clarke’s side upon hearing a knock at the door.

“Clarke,” said the doctor as she came in. “How are you feeling today?”

“I’m…I’m okay,” I say.

“So, Lexa tells me that you are here to confirm a pregnancy. Is she the other parent?” She looked over to Lexa.

Lexa said, “I plan on being there for Clarke yes.”

I say, “Actually, this wasn’t a planned pregnancy.” I twist the towel. “I’m not even sure if I’ll keep it.”

“Oh. Well, whichever way you go, I can take care of you.”

“It was…it was actually the result of a rape.”

Dr. Al-Mubarak looked surprised, almost devastatingly so. “I’m so sorry to hear that Clarke. I hope the perpetrator had been arrested?”

“Um…no, it’s complicated. It was my ex-boyfriend, and his dad is the mayor and he always gets him out of trouble. I didn’t press charges, but I did file a report in case I change my mind. Lexa came but she was too late to stop him. She did however beat the crap out of him and would have killed him if the cops hadn’t got there when they did.”

“He wasn’t very smart to mess with you,” said Dr. Al-Mubarak, noting Lexa’s fierce expression.

“Nope, he got lucky they got there when they did.” Lexa agrees.

Dr. Al-Mubarak looks at her laptop. “The urine test has confirmed that you are pregnant. I can do an ultrasound to determine how far along you are, but I’m guessing you know the date of conception?”

I nod. “I’m eight weeks and two days along.”

“In that case, all we have to do today is a pelvic exam. I can do an ultrasound as well if you want, but we can wait until you’ve decided whether to keep it.”

“I’ll do it today,” I say decisively. “For now, I want to do all the same tests I would do if I were keeping it.”

“Okay,” Dr. Al-Mubarak. “In addition to that, I would recommend doing a cell free DNA test, which we can to as early as two weeks from now. We just need to draw some blood, which will us to screen for a number of genetic disorders, and we can also determine the baby’s sex with over ninety-nine percent accuracy. Of course, with the genetic disorders we can only tell you if there is an elevated risk. You’d need further testing down the line to confirm if there was a disorder.”

“I understand. I’d like to get that done as soon as I can.”

“Okay, how long are you staying in Dubai?”

I look at Lexa and raise my eyebrow in question. She says, “I mean…the plan was to head back Sunday after the fights…but we can stay as long as you like. We can stay until you have the test if Dr. Al-Mubarak isn’t going to take the job or whatever if you want to continue under her care or we can find someone back home. It is completely up to you, Ya Amar.”

Dr. Al-Mubarak says, “We can figure that out later. Shall we start with the pelvic exam?”

Thankfully, mom says that she is going to step outside and wait in the waiting room. Lexa says, “Would you like me to wait outside during the pelvic exam also?”

“No, please stay. Ceilo, I need you with me.”

“Okay, I’m not going anywhere as long as you want me.”

It was a bit awkward having the exam with Lexa present, although of course she stood near my head so she couldn’t see anything. After the exam, Dr. Al-Mubarak brought in the ultrasound cart. I became apprehensive and reach for Lexa’s hand as the image of my uterus appeared on the screen. Lexa quickly takes my hand and squeezes it, her own eyes glued to the screen.

“That’s the baby?” Lexa asked quietly, pointing.

“Yes, that’s it,” said Dr. Al-Mubarak. “Here’s the head…you can see the little heart beating here…and here are the arm and leg buds. It measures two centimeters from crown to rump and has a heartrate of 143. Would you like me to print you a picture?”

“Yes, please,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper.

“It looks like a little gummy bear,” Lexa remarked. I look up at her face and saw her staring, enthralled, at the screen. She loves the baby, I think, and then I burst into tears.  
Dr. Al-Mubarak hastily wiped the gel off of my abdomen. “I’ll leave you two alone for a few minutes. You can go ahead and get dressed.”

She left the room, and Lexa pulls me into her arms. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” she crooned.

“I want kids with you.” I sob. “Ever since I met you and saw how you are with Asher; I knew I wanted kids with you. It’s all I want but…not like this. Not like this.”

Lexa kisses my temple and says, “Clarke, we will figure this out together, but the final decision is yours and yours alone. I’m going to talk to the Dr. and your mom while you get dressed. When you’re ready meet us in the doctor’s office.”

I sniffle, “Can you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course!”

Lexa

I have an idea, but I really want to run it by Abby and Dr. Al-Mubarak first. As I prepare to let Clarke get dressed, she asks me to stay. I can’t tell her no so I stay. Before we can walk out of the room there is a knock at the door, “Clarke,” Abby says before she walks in. “Are you okay?”

Clarke replies, “Yes, just confused.”

I speak, “Abby can I run something by you and Dr. Al-Mubarak. I have an idea but I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know if it is possible. It is a long shot but…”

“Sure, hold on and I will go and get her.”

Clarke looks at me and says, “Babe, what are you thinking?”

“Just wait, I will explain it when they get back. It may be nothing but then again it may be something. Just remember, the final decision is yours, no matter what.”

“Okay, but you are scaring me a little.”

Abby walks back in the room with Dr. Al-Mubarak in tow. Abby looks at me and says, “Okay, Lexa spit it out.”

“I’ve been doing some research and reading through all the information that Ash has been sending. It looks to me like whoever is doing the experiments has found a way to change the DNA of a baby inside the mother womb. What they are doing is causing mutations but not changing the entire DNA, right?”

Abby says, “Correct, but what are you getting at?”

“Let me finish. I have also read that when a person has a bone marrow transplant the person receiving the bone marrow’s DNA is changed becoming like the donors. Now in the past, the recipient’s DNA was completely destroyed and replaced by the donors, usually because of sickness. Recently though there have been instances where the recipient has kept some of their DNA and it has been combined with the donor’s DNA effectively rewriting their DNA. Now the experiments that Ash is investigating is using bone marrow from dead people of ancient races, which I still don’t understand how that works but…”

Dr. Al-Mubarak interrupts, “Wait, what are you saying? That someone has figured out a way to use bone marrow extracted postmortem and get it to fuse with healthy bone marrow causing mutations in the human DNA.”

Abby says, “That is how I have interpreted the data I have seen so far but once we have more information and are able to see the results in person, we should get a better understanding of what is going on. This is what our project will be working on. Lexa what does this have to do with anything right now.”

Clarke says, “Lexa you are a genius! Mom what she is saying is, what if we use a healthy persons DNA to rewrite the DNA of my baby effectively giving Finn no way to claim the child and hopefully keeping the baby from having any resemblance to him. I mean it’s never been done but think about the possibilities. It would allow rape victims to have more of a choice in what happens to the baby.” Clarke wraps me in a huge hug.

“Yes, that is what I was trying to ask. If you think it can be done, safely. I mean it can obviously be done to mutate the DNA with the dead marrow in fetus’ in the mother’s womb so it would make sense that it would also work with healthy marrow to rewrite parts of the DNA. I can contact Ash and have her doctor contact that used to be involved with the experiments send the information on how to do the procedure and what the risks are for the mother. I’ve seen some data on the mothers but most of it is over my head. Abby, doctor, what do you think?”

Abby just stares at me for a minute, then looks at Clarke and says, “I mean…the theory is strong, and we do have some data to back it up, but I would need to talk to this other doctor before I could say for sure. What to you think, Dr. Al-Mubarak?”

“I think that it is groundbreaking if it works, but I would need access to all the data you have already, along with the blood samples and then see what we find out from the contact before I can say for sure. I would also want Ariel to look at the genetics behind it…but I think it could work.”

I look at Clarke, “Babe, this would allow you to keep the baby if that is what you want, and Finn couldn’t do anything about it. On top of that, if you would let me, I would like to be the donor of the bone marrow. That way it will have both of our DNA if it works.”

Clarke starts to cry. I wrap her in my arms, and she snuggles in like she always does. “I didn’t mean to upset you more. I was simple trying to help…”

I’m cut off by her lips crashing onto mine. The kiss is needy but passionate and full of love. When she pulls away, she is smiling with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Ceilo, these are tears of joy. Of course, I would want to use your marrow and I would definitely have your baby. I can’t believe you figured all of this out. When did you do all of this research?”

“I’ve been studying the information from Julian and Ash when I wasn’t training and then after you told me you were pregnant yesterday, I stayed up after you fell asleep and researched the bone marrow transplant aspect of it. That computer Julian gave me, has access to all sorts of databases. I just wanted to help you feel better about what was happening. If I have learned anything in my life it is, life is a mixture of good and bad things. Sometimes the bad things happen because of the good things or vice versa. You can’t enjoy life if you’re trying to find something that’s purely good, that isn’t tainted in any way. You just have to enjoy the good things you do have, regardless of how they came about. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and sometimes you can turn something bad into something good. Even if this crazy plan doesn’t work, I would be happy to raise this baby or any baby with you Clarke Griffin…but it is your decision. I will support you either way.”

Abby says, “Lexa, I always knew you were a survivor and strong woman, but you continue to surprise me every day. I’m so glad that you wandered into my clinic that day.” Then she wraps me in a bear hug. 

Dr. Al-Mubarak speaks up, “I don’t know you that well but from what I have seen today you are not only an intelligent businesswoman but also extremely smart and I think that you love Clarke more than anything. I would love to hear more about you and what you have lived through. I also look forward to working with you.”

“Wait, does that mean that you are accepting the offer to join the research?”

“As long as Ariel doesn’t mind moving to California, you can count me in. Besides, after I tell her your theory on the bone marrow, I’m fairly sure she will be willing to help. If not, I think the ring side UFC tickets will convince her. I’ll be in touch.”

“Great, but there is one other thing. I will need you both to sign an NDA since you will be examining classified information.”

“Of course, I understand. Why don’t we get together for dinner to discuss everything?”

“That sounds good. Hopefully by then I will have more information.”


	68. Clarke/Lexa

Clarke

Lexa amazes me every day and every day I fall deeper and deeper in love with her. Today was no different, I saw how her face lit up at the ultrasound. If I had to guess, she would prefer that I had the baby although she would never say it. I can just tell by the way she looked at the image and called it a gummy bear. Then she came up with a brilliant plan that if it works would actually allow the baby to have both of our DNA’s.

We are now headed back to the hotel for our adventure with Asher and I feel better than I have in a long time and it is because I have hope. Hope that Lexa has instilled in me and I now can better understand what she said about hope and how having it makes things easier. I just hope that we can figure out how to do the procedure but even if we don’t, I’m leaning towards keeping the baby anyway.

I glance over at Lexa and she is typing away on her phone. If I had to guess, she is emailing Julian and Ash and then texting them as well. Once she has something on her mind, she doesn’t let it go until she gets what she wants. I look over at mom and she is also deep into something on her phone. I clear my throat and say, “Mom, would you like to see the ultrasound picture?”

She looks up, “Of course I do! I wasn’t sure if you would go ahead with the ultrasound or not since you aren’t sure if you are keeping it or not but I’m glad you did. Where is it?”

Lexa reaches into her pocket and pulls it out smiling, “Here you go, take a look at the little gummy bear.”

Abby smirks, “Gummy bear, huh?”

“Yes, that is what Lexa is calling it.” I say with a laugh and look over at Lexa who is smiling from ear to ear like a proud parent. That is when I realize that she has already fallen in love with it and I feel tears in my eyes. I have to keep it no matter what. It doesn’t matter how it was conceived, it is already loved and that is what matters the most right. But what if we can’t merge the DNA and it resembles Finn? Will I be able to handle that?

Suddenly Lexa wraps me in a hug bringing me out of my thoughts. “Clarke, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“It’s just…just the way yours and mom’s face lit up looking at the picture of the gummy bear. You looked like a proud parent showing off the picture of their baby when you handed it to mom, and she looked like a proud grandparent and…”

Lexa stops me, “Babe, I’m sorry…I don’t mean to. I know this is hard for you and you haven’t decided what you want to do. I promise either way, I am here for you and I support your decision.”

I looked between mom and Lexa, “I know you will, sweetie. I think I’ve made up my mind.” I pause and take a deep breath. 

Lexa says, “You don’t have to make any decisions yet. You have time.”

“I know but…I’ve decided to keep it, even if we can’t perform the procedure. I didn’t want to have a baby like this, but sometimes life surprises us, and if I don’t have this baby, who’s to say I’ll ever have another one? When is going to be a better time? And it is MY child, regardless of how it was conceived. If we’d used a sperm donor, we wouldn’t know what kind of person he was, and we wouldn’t even think much about it. Plus, Finn wasn’t always like that. There was a time when he was actually good and caring.”

I can tell Lexa is trying not to smile. “I think we can make it work either way, experiment or not,” Lexa says. “We’re gonna love this little gummy bear like crazy.”

“I’m a little afraid that I’m just doing what he would want by having it, that he will be pleased when he finds out that I am having his baby, but I have decided that I can’t worry about that. This is about what I want to do.”

“I’m quite sure this isn’t what he had in mind when he raped you. He wanted to hurt not only you but me as well. His plan was to break you and make it so that you wouldn’t want anyone ever again and, in his mind, he was ruining you for me, which is ridiculous. There is nothing that anyone could do to make me not want to be with you. When he sees you and realizes, that you’re happy and bringing a new life into the world…he is going to be either extremely disappointed or very pissed. Either way, I will deal with him and he will never have any claim to this baby. He just wanted to hurt us, but he ended up inadvertently giving you this amazing gift. To see you raising and loving this child, it is going to piss him off.”

“Well, I don’t care how he feels. I’m doing this because it’s what I want.” I smile at mom then look back to Lexa. “We’re having a baby.”

“Are you sure this is what you really want? To have a baby with me.”

“More than anything in the world.” I pat my belly. “I think it would want it too. I think it would love to have two moms instead of just a mom and a Lexa.”

Lexa places her hand over the baby, smiling tenderly. “I would love to have you two as my family, more than anything in the world.” Lexa then looks over to mom and says, “Abby we’re having a baby! You’re going to be a grandma, again.” 

Lexa

I wrap Clarke into a tight hug, relief flooding through me. It feels good to see Clarke happy, and now I don’t have to feel bad about falling in love with the baby during the ultrasound. It was going to be born, and it would need lots of love.

“Don’t tell anyone yet, okay?” Clarke says, hugging me closely. “I still need to decide when and how to tell everyone.”

“What? You mean…I have to keep this a secret? Clarke…” I whine. 

Clarke pulls out of the hug and looks at me, “Just for a while, until we figure everything out.”

“Fine, my lips are sealed. So, since you are having our baby, does that mean you are moving in with me permanently? I mean you’re gonna need someone to run out and buy ice cream when you start craving it in the middle of the night.”

Clarke looks over to Abby who just nods. “I think that would be a great idea. I am going to need your support during the pregnancy, and I know I’ll need your help after the baby gets here. Like I said, this is our baby.”

“Yes ma’am, and I’m going to love the hell out of the little gummy bear. I can’t believe this is happening! We’re having a baby!”

Abby and Clarke were hugging and laughing. “Hey, you two, what’s so funny?”

Abby says, “You are.”

“Huh? What am I doing?”

Clarke says, “You are just being you. You always know what I need and seeing you this excited…lets me know that I am making the right decision.”

Abby speaks, “I couldn’t agree more. The two of you are going to make great mothers.”

Suddenly, the door to the van opens and Ali says, “Sorry to interrupt but we are at the hotel. I will see you after lunch to take you to meet your buggy tour.”

“Thank you, Ali.”

As much as I was looking forward to this adventure with Asher, all I really wanted to do was snuggle and make love to my girlfriend. On the elevator, I look a Clarke and say, “How are you feeling? You don’t have to go this afternoon if you don’t feel like it.”

She chuckles, “I actually feel better than I have since everything happened. Of course, I want to go, it sounds like a blast.”

“I’m glad you are happy because I can’t contain my happiness. Um…is bouncing around the desert on a dune buggy…uh, is it safe for the baby?”

“Ceilo, it’s fine. The only thing I can’t do right now is drink.”

“Oh, okay. I’m going to order room service for lunch. Are you craving anything in particular?”

“Nope, I’ll take a sandwich and a salad. Do you mind if I take a shower? I feel kinda dirty after the pelvic exam and then having the ultrasound goo on me.”

“No, go ahead. I’m just going to check my emails.”

While Clarke showers, I get on the laptop and check my emails. There is one from Julian saying that he was able to contact Ash and she will be calling me within the hour. I look at the time stamp on the email and it was from a half hour ago. That means she should be calling me anytime now. I need to ask Clarke if I can tell Ash what is going on because I’m sure she is going to have questions.

I knock on the bathroom door, “Clarke…”

“Yeah.”

“I received an email from Julian saying that Ash is going to call me. Would it be okay if I tell her about the baby? She’s going to have questions about why I want the doctor’s notes.”

“Okay, just make sure she doesn’t tell Callie. I want to figure out how to tell everyone.”

About five minutes later, my phone rings with a number I don’t recognize. “Hello.”

“Lexa, it is good to hear your voice.” Ash says. “Julian said you needed to talk to Dr. Anny Stenbeck about her research and he made it sound urgent. What is going on?”

“Do you have time to talk? It is going to take a little bit to explain everything.”

“Yes, this is a secure line.”

“Alright, well…I don’t remember if I told you or not, probably not because she didn’t want anyone to know. But two months ago, Clarke was raped by Finn. It was before we were together but after she had broken up with him. We found out today that she is pregnant with his child even though she took the emergency contraceptive.” I take a deep breath.

“Lexa, why didn’t you tell me?”

“We were in a complicated place and she didn’t want anyone to know.” I go on to explain what I need and the theory behind it. 

She listens intently to the entire conversation and then says, “You said you are in Dubai, why?”

“I’m fighting Jewel again on Saturday, why?”

“I need to get Anny out of the country, and I thought we could come to you since it is only a six-hour flight from here in Kiev to Dubai. Besides, if you are serious about going through with the procedure, it would be better if Anny were there to help and I can go over everything I have learned with you.”

“When can you come? I can send Morrigan and Lincoln with the plane. Just tell me when.”

“What plane?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you later.”

“I don’t meet up with my new contact until next Monday so I can be ready whenever.”

“Alright, I have an Asher adventure in a little while but should be finished by about five. If we leave here at six that would get us there by around midnight and then back in Dubai by at least seven in the morning. Does that work for you?”

“Yes, we will be ready.”

“Thanks, Ash. The plane will be registered under AST Enterprises. I will see you around midnight.”

When I hang up, I see Clarke standing at the door. “I have great news! Ash is bringing Dr. Anny Stenbeck here. I’m going to take the plane to Kiev after our dune buggy adventure to get them.”

“I’m going with you.”

“I would rather you stay and rest, babe. I’m not even getting off the plane. We will land let them come aboard and then come straight back. I will be back before you wake up in the morning. Plus, I was kind of hoping you could keep Asher so that I can surprise Ash by taking Callie so they can have some alone time.”

“Fine, I’ll see if Sabrina can stay too. It will give me some practice with kids.” Clarke says with a smirk.


	69. Clarke/Lexa

Clarke

Asher’s Dune Buggy adventure was awesome. Lexa was cautious at first not wanting to go too fast or bounce around too much but eventually, mom and I convinced her the baby would be fine. So, then she enjoyed herself and had Asher and Sabrina screaming in delight. She really is good with kids and I know she is going to be a great parent.

I’m really glad that Ash is bringing Dr. Stenbeck to meet with us. It will be extremely helpful to have her input on everything. Plus, I know Asher and Callie will be glad to see her. Lexa said she was going to be able to stay until Sunday after the fight and we would drop her off in Kiev on the way home. That is if Lexa and I don’t stay. Either way, Morrigan will drop Ash off so that she can meet with her new contact in Kiev.

I wish that Lexa would let me go with her to pick them up, but she insists that I need to stay here and rest. She’s probably right, there isn’t any reason for me to risk it other than I want to be where she is. I’m also worried that she isn’t focusing enough on the fight. I know she is excited about the baby, but I don’t want her to lose her focus and get hurt. I should probably have a conversation with her about that.

When Ali drops us off at the hotel, Lexa asks him to hang out for a bit. She then looks at Callie and says, “I have something that I need your help with tonight and it will probably take all night. Is it okay if Asher stays with Clarke?”

Callie gives her a funny look, “I guess, as long as, Clarke is okay with it. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Yes, but once we are on the way. Can you get Asher’s stuff and bring to our room in a few minutes and then we will meet Morrigan and Lincoln back down here?”

“Sure.” Callie says.

On the ride up the elevator, it’s just me and Lexa. I look at her and say, “Sweetie, I’m worried that you are concentrating too much on me and the baby and not enough on your fight.”

“Of course, I’m concentrating on you and the baby. You two are my family and the most important thing in the world to me. I could care less about the fight now.”

“But, babe, you are under contract to fight and you and the baby are the most important thing in the world to me. I need to know that you are taking this fight seriously because I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand?”

She leans in and kisses me. “I hear you Ya Amar. When I get back, I promise to concentrate on the fight while you and the doctor’s concentrate on you and our gummy bear. I have plenty of time to train tomorrow when we get back. All I have the rest of the week is dinner with Dr. Al-Mubarak, the fan thing on Wednesday night and weigh-ins and fan greet on Friday. Oh, and the tattoo appointment on Wednesday, other than that I can train and relax on the beach with my beautiful baby momma.”

I laugh but smack her for that comment about being her baby momma, although I think I might like it. “I’m guessing that you will have to let Callie in on the secret tonight, but please tell her to keep it to herself until I figure out how to tell everyone.”

“Yes ma’am. I love you Dr. Clarke Griffin, my baby momma.”

“I love you too, idiot!”

Lexa

After getting Asher settled in with Clarke and promising him a big surprise in the morning, Callie and I head downstairs to meet Morrigan and Lincoln. On the elevator, I look at Callie and say, “I’m going to tell you something, but you CANNOT tell anyone else. Understood?”

“Of course, I’ll keep your secret if you tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Clarke is pregnant.”

“What? How?”

“I will tell you but don’t let even Clarke know that you know what happened. She is trying to figure out a way to tell everyone about the baby but I’m not sure what she is going to come up with about the conception. Before we actually got together, but after she broke up with Finn, we were all out at the Dragon’s Den. It was the night that I sang to her, anyway, Finn came in and heard me sing to her and then he saw her kiss me. He flipped out and made a scene, long story short he followed her home and raped her. I tried to get her to let me take her home, but she wouldn’t. It’s my fault it happened.”

“Lexa, it isn’t your fault. Did she not take the emergency contraceptive?”

“She did, but I guess it didn’t work. The point is, I think we have figured out a way to change the DNA of the baby so that Finn can’t make our life hell, but we need the information Ash has collected and input from her contact Dr. Anny Stenbeck. I was able to talk to Ash today and that’s where we are headed to pick them up. I just thought if you came with me, it would give you a couple of hours together alone.”

She grabs me in a tight hug, “Thank you, Lexa. I can’t believe this. How long will I have with her?”

“Well, it is a six-hour flight from Kiev to Dubai so…but she is going to stay in Dubai until Sunday after the fight and we will drop her back in Kiev on the way home.”

“So, she will have a couple of days with Asher and me?”

“Yep!”

Six hours later, we landed in Kiev. Ten minutes after that, Ash and Dr. Stenbeck were onboard and we were waiting for permission to take off. Ash couldn’t believe that I brought Callie and they both kept thanking me. Ash introduced me to Dr. Stenbeck and then says, “Lexa, I would like to hear the story of this plane, but first please tell me that it has a bed so that I can make love to my beautiful wife.”

Callie says, “Ash!”

I can’t help but laugh and take them down to the master suite. “You two have fun. I’m going to talk to Dr. Stenbeck. Take your time. There is water and snacks in the small fridge over there.”

I leave the newlyweds alone to have their fun. When I get back upstairs, I ask, “Dr. Stenbeck would you like something to eat or drink? I have a full bar.”

“Please call me Anny and yes, a drink would be great.”

“What’s your preferred drink? Mine is tequila.”

“I’ve been in Russia and the Ukraine so much that I prefer Vodka, but whatever is fine.”

I pull out a bottle of tequila and a bottle of vodka. “I usually drink mine straight. Do you need a mixer?”

“Nope, just some ice. Ash has told me a little bit of the story, but I would like to hear the whole story.”

“Sure, but you will have to be more specific. I have lots of stories. I have a feeling you are talking about the research, though.”

“For starters, yes.”

As we sit and drink, I tell Anny about Clarke and her pregnancy. I tell her about the idea I have and ask her if she thinks it will work. I also explain to her about the research facility that Abby and I are opening and what we hope do use it for.”

She sits quietly and listens until I’m finished and then she seems to be deep in thought. Soon she speaks, “I think that what you are proposing will work. I just don’t know if we can target just the father’s DNA. It may be that when you introduce the third DNA that it overwrites some of both parents’ DNA giving the child three sets of DNAs.”

“Is that safe? Will it create issues for the baby? Will the DNA still match the father’s?”

“There are always risks, but it should be fairly safe. The child’s DNA wouldn’t match the father’s completely but would still have some similarities. If we have a good geneticist, they may be able to figure out a way to target just the father’s DNA.”

“I do, in fact, have a geneticist in Dubai. When is the best time to perform the procedure? How far along in the pregnancy and can you help us with it?”

“In the experiments that I was involved in they usually implanted the wolf and other DNA between 12-14 week.”

“Great, Clarke is 10 weeks. Can I ask why you left the project and why you are helping Ash try to shut it down?”

“Sure, when I began work at the facility, I was told that we were running hypothetical tests to see if it would be possible to merge two different animal DNAs. We were also trying to see if we could get the bone marrow of extinct animals to merge with a descendant of said animal in order to bring back extinct animals. I worked with them for years, until finally we were able to get wolf DNA to merge with that of the extinct Dire Wolf. One day, I found some information that didn’t make sense to me. When I dug deeper, I realized that they were using pregnant women and experimenting on the fetuses at another facility. They were using our research to experiment on humans! I tried to gather as much information as I could without being detected but somehow, they caught on to me and I had to run. I was able to get out of the Ukraine to Belarus where I met Natalia. At the time, I had no idea she was working for the CIA. We met at a bar and just hit it off, eventually as we became closer, we opened up to one another and I told her what was going on.”

“So, you and Natalia were…”

“Eventually, yes. We fell in love and she used the information I had to get approval to open an investigation into the facility near Chernobyl. She had been investigating for months and then one day she just disappeared. She missed her check-ins with the agency, and I haven’t heard from her since. I just know that she was captured by them and that they are using her to experiment on or…they killed her. Either way, I have to find out what happened to her. That’s why I’m helping Ash. Unfortunately, I have been identified and have to leave the country. Ash has a meeting set up with the buyer at the facility next week which should get her in. Once she is inside, she can get the layout and then call for the troops to come in and shut it down.”

“Would you be interested in coming to work for me on the project that Abby and I are setting up? We are going to be evaluating everyone that Ash can have extracted.”

“Is your facility in Dubai?”

“No, it is in San Francisco. I am in Dubai to fight in a UFC match and recruit an OBGN and geneticist to work with Abby on the project. I would also really appreciate your help with Clarke’s procedure.”

“Sure, I will do all that I can to help. Once Ash extracts the subjects from the Chernobyl facility, will they be taken to your facility in California?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will accept your job offer at least until I find out what happened to Natalia.”


	70. Lexa

Lexa

About four hours later, Callie and Ash emerge from their marathon session. I smile and say, “So, how was it?”

Ash smirks, “It was amazing as always! So, what did you and Anny decide?”

I look over at Callie and her face is red and she is trying to hide. “What’s wrong Callie? Are you dehydrated? I can get you some water or…”

“Shut up Lexa, stop embarrassing me!” Callie snaps at me but smiles.

“What fun is it if I can’t tease you and Ash a little bit. Ash didn’t seem to mind.”

“Yeah, well you and Ash don’t embarrass that easily.”

Ash says, “Leave her alone Lex and tell me what’s going on?”

I spend the next hour or so catching Ash up on everything that has happened since she left. I explained how Julian approached Abby about working for the CIA, but we decided to open our own facility instead. I explained that I had formed a company and named it AST Enterprises and that Abby was going to handle the medical research and Marcus Kane was going to be the head of the applied science division.

“Wow, you have been busy since I left!” Ash says. “How do you have the money for all of this?”

“Well, I had the money from winning the tournament and the UFC fight winnings was $250,00 for winning the fight. Then there was the merchandising which came to $109,268,292.”

“I understand that, but you bought a jumbo jet and I’m assuming you already have or will be buying some sort of facility to house these projects, plus salaries to pay. How are you going to keep the business going?”

“Ash, I have it covered. I already have a few contracts for some of Marcus’s prototypes and if we are able to get this procedure to work, we will be able to use it to bring in money as well. Plus, I had another fight with Mickey’s club and won $500,000 for wining. I won eight million on playing the odds to win the fight in under a minute and the $80 million on a side bet to win in under thirty seconds. So, I think we have enough start up cash, at least for now.”

Callie gasps and says, “Holy shit, Lexa!”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I-I just can’t believe you can make that much money on a fight that’s all?”

“Oh, yeah. I made it in exactly 18 seconds. Then there is the contract for this UFC fight depending on how many pay-per-view’s are sold there is not telling how much I stand to make from that and the merchandising.”

Ash says, “Alright smart ass, what is it that you need from Anny?”

Anny speaks up and explains to Ash what we have been talking about while she and Callie were…you know. She explains the procedure and that she thinks it is brilliant and will work even if we aren’t able to isolate just Finn’s DNA, the baby’s DNA will be different enough so that a DNA test would be inclusive as to if he is the father or not.

Ash looks at me and smiles, “So, you are going to have a baby. How do you feel about that?”

“Well, Clarke is going to be doing all the work and I hate the way it came about but I’m fucking excited! I hate not being able to tell everyone right now but…that decision is Clarke’s to make. I’m only glad she decided to keep it even if the procedure wasn’t possible. It’s funny, I never thought about kids until hanging out with Asher and then being with Clarke. I mean even when we were together, the thought never crossed my mind. I guess because really who would have carried the kid, not me.” 

Ash, Callie, and I all laugh. Callie says, “We know it wouldn’t be Ash because she has already informed me that we were having more but she wasn’t going to be the one to carry them.”

“At any rate, lately I have been thinking about having kids a lot and well I can’t wait to have one of my own. There is one thing that I could use your help with Callie.”

Callie looks at me confused. I say, “We both know that Ash isn’t romantic, and I have to come up with an epic proposal for Clarke after what I did for the two of you and I’m coming up blank. I mean I can’t sing her a song because that’s what I did for you Callie. I can’t take her to a romantic oasis in the desert, cook for her and talk about the stars and how she saved me because that’s what I did for you Ash. So, can someone please tell me what I can do for Clarke!”

Anny speaks for the first time, “Wait, so Lexa you have proposed to both of them and now they are married to each other and you are having a baby with Clarke, who you now want to propose to.”

I chuckle, “Well when you say it like that, it sounds bad but…really it is just complicated. I did propose to Ash a long time ago under what I realize now were questionable circumstance, but I’m glad she is with Callie. I just helped Ash propose to Callie and yes now I very much want to marry Clarke.”

Ash says, “Do you have a ring?”

I pull out the box and show them. Callie says, “Holy shit, that is beautiful.”

I smile, “Thanks but I can’t take the credit for it. She picked it out.”

“What?” asks Ash.

“We were picking her out a charm for her bracelet and I caught her looking at it, so I went back and got it. She doesn’t know about it though and I don’t know when I want to propose, just that I do, and it needs to be epic. I do have a plan as to how to tell everyone about the baby, if I can talk Clarke into it.”

Before long we have landed in Dubai and are on the van headed to the hotel. I get Anny a room and she says she is going to go sleep but to call her when we needed her. I look at Ash and Callie, “Let’s go up to my room and you can collect Asher. I know he will be excited to see you, but I would like to use him to have fun waking up Clarke first if that is okay.”

Ash smiles, “Sure.”

It’s about 6:45 when we walk into our suite and I tell them to just hang out for a minute. I tip toe upstairs hoping that Clarke is asleep and not sick in the bathroom. When I walk into the bedroom, I see Clarke, Asher and Sabrina all sleeping soundly in the bed. I stand there for a minute thinking how cute they all are and how much I’m looking forward to having a baby. I sneak in and wake Asher up making sure he knows to be quiet and whisper, “Want to help me wake up Clarke like we did last time?” He nods. “Alright, but don’t jump on her this time. I will hold her hands while you tickle her okay?”

He whispers, “What about Brina, can she help?”

“Sure.”

He proceeds to wake up Sabrina while I sneak over and take Clarkes hands and move them, so the kids have access to her underarms and then they pouch like jungle cats. One on each side, tickling and laughing. Clarke screams, which makes everyone laugh even harder as they continue the onslaught. I smile and say, “I guess you should get used to this now that…”

She cuts my sentence short with, “Don’t you dare say it! You know they repeat everything. Now make them stop!”

I let her hands go and then I grab Asher and begin tickling him and Clarke does the same for Sabrina. Asher starts yelling stop and that brings Ash and Callie upstairs and into the bedroom. Ash rushes in and scoops up Asher saying, “I’m here to save you!”

Asher then squeals, “Mommy? You’re here. I thought you were working?”

“I was but I needed to come save you from Aunt Lexa and spend some time with you. Is that okay?”

“Of course, but Xa wasn’t hurting me. We just playing.”

“I know buddy. She would never hurt you. Why don’t you and mom and I go to our room.”

“Okay, but can Brina come too?”

“Sure. Hey Clarke, congratulations. Lexa we will meet up later.”


	71. Clarke/Lexa

Clarke

Asher, Sabrina, and I have a sleep over while Lexa is gone to get Ash. We order room service, then go out for ice cream and watch movies until they fall asleep in the bed with me. I enjoyed it, but I’m tired. The next thing I know, I’m awakened by Lexa holding my hands and the two kids tickling me. I want to be mad, but I can’t. Lexa looks so happy.

After Callie and Ash take the kids and leave, I grab her by the back of the neck and pull her into bed with me. I can’t believe how much I missed her even though she was only gone a few hours. I kiss her deeply, until I need to pull away to breath. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. I have an idea on how to tell everyone if it’s okay with you. I just…I just want everyone to know. I’m just so excited and Anny said the procedure would work and that she would help preform it, so I just want to tell everyone.”

“Babe, I know you are excited and so am I, but I just know that everyone will want to know how it happened and I’m not sure I want everyone to know that. Hold on, did you say that it will work? We can rewrite the DNA?”

She smile, “Yep! Anny said it would work and is as safe as any medical procedure. The only thing is that she isn’t sure that we can target just Finn’s DNA. It might be that the baby ends up with three different sets of DNAs instead of two, but the baby would be fine, and the DNA wouldn’t match Finn’s.”

“Cielo, this is amazing!”

“I know that’s why I want to tell everyone. Anny also said that a geneticist may be able to figure out how to target just Finn’s DNA. She also said the procedure is usually done between week 12-14 so they have at least two weeks to figure it out. I’m going to text your mom and Dr. Al-Mubarak and see if they can get together with Anny this afternoon after she has some time to rest. That way we can get things moving. I would like to go out and celebrate this evening if you feel up to it, even if you won’t let me tell everyone yet.”

“What did you have in mind for your big reveal? I know you well enough to know that you have something big planned.”

She laughs and kisses the tip of my nose. “You do seem to know me pretty well. There is a bar down the street that is having karaoke tonight. I thought that I could get everyone to meet there and that you and I would sing the song by Paul Anika, Having My Baby. Then if you don’t want them to know about the…incident we could just say that you had a procedure because we wanted to have a baby. Although, it is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Babe, I don’t know that song and I don’t like to sing.”

“Here look at the lyrics. The song really fits, and you wouldn’t have to sing very much. It would be so cool, please.” She pulls up the song lyrics for me to read.

When I finish, she looks at me with her my best puppy dog eyes. “You don’t play fair looking at me like that. Fine, we can do it on one condition.”

“Anything!”

“You let me decide how to answer ALL the questions concerning the conception of the baby.”

“Yes ma’am. I’m going to text everyone and then I have to meet Jose and Lucas for a training session. When I get back, I’m taking my baby momma to the beach. If you want to go, I mean.”

“Yes, I will go to the beach with you but right now I’m going back to sleep.”

Lexa

I’m so wired up that I can’t even think about sleeping even though I was up all night. I text Jose and Lucas and tell them to meet me in the conference room that is set up with mats for a training session. Then I text Abby and Dr. Al-Mubarak to see if they can meet with Anny later this afternoon. They both agree and Dr. Al-Mubarak is going to bring her partner along. I also invite them to celebrate with us tonight. Then I text everyone else to meet at the bar at eight.

Once everything is set up, I head to the gym and spend the next three hours training. Jose and I work on some capoeira moves while Lucas continues to help me with my wrestling. When I get back up to the room, Clarke has a massive spread of food waiting on me. I smile, “Man does my baby momma know what I need or what.”

Clarke laughs, “Whatever, just eat so we can go to the beach. I’m going to change while you eat.”

“Babe, you need to eat too. I mean you are eating for two now.”

“Ha ha, very funny. I already ate.”

About ten minutes later, Clarke comes out in a bikini. “Hey, sexy,” I say when I look up from my food. “You look amazing. Let me get changed and we can head out.”

“Do you think this shows to much?” Clarke asks. “Maybe I should put on my one piece.”

I look at her confused. I think the suit looks amazing on her, it shows a little cleavage, but that was it. “I’ve seen way skimpier bikinis. Are you worried that someone will be able to tell you are pregnant? I promise you can’t. You look beautiful and you are in great shape.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Clarke says softly. “I’m worried that I look too good.”

“Huh? Too good? How can you look too good?”

“If-if I go out there like this, men will look at me and think…they’ll think…”

“Whoa.” I say and walk to her. “I’m sure men will look at you and think you’re sexy, and some women too, but that’s never bothered you before.”

“It never seemed like a threat before,” Clarke says, tears glistening in her eyes. “When Finn…” Her breath started coming faster. “He wasn’t sure if he could get aroused with an unwilling partner, but when he ripped off my clothes and looked at me, he did. He did get aroused. I was hoping he wouldn’t be able to, but…”

“Oh, Clarke.” I pull her close and hold her as the tears fell.

“I didn’t want him to,” Clarke sobbed.

“I know you didn’t baby, I know.” I say as I stroke her hair. “But sweetie, you need to understand, there was nothing about you that made him do that. He wasn’t able to do it because you were so good-looking. He was able to do it because he was a monster, a horrible person.”

“He said I was too attractive to be a dyke…and that he was going to make it so that no one would want me…”

“Clarke, listen. I happen to think you’re the sexiest human being alive. I’m crazy in love with you, I mean I probably appreciate your good looks more than anyone else does. But I could never get aroused by you in a situation where you were scared or upset. I mean, I’ve always thought you were sexy, and I’ve been attracted to you sense day one, but I still managed to control my arousal. That’s what decent people do. I know society says horrible things about women’s bodies making men lose control, but you know as well as I do that’s not true. What happened to you happened because Finn is a horrible person and wanted to hurt us both.”

Clarke nodded her understanding, trying to blink her tears away. “It’s just…when I go out there like this, people will look at me…”

“People have always looked at you. Don’t let that ruin your fun. None of them are going to touch you, because I would hurt them if they even thought about it.” I kiss her. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Please don’t start seeing that as a bad thing. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, and it’s not fair. But I promise you that you’re going to be okay, and that this will make you even stronger.”

“Thank you,” Clarke says quietly. “Although I think you’re the sexist.”

“Well, we can have that argument later. Put your one-piece on if it makes you more comfortable, but if you want to wear the bikini, then I think you should.”

“I will,” Clarke says. “But you’ll stay close to me, right?”

“Of course. I’ll make sure everyone knows you are not an eligible woman and if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable you let me know and I will take care of them, okay?”

Clarke smiled and dried her eyes then gathered their beach things while I changed into a pair of board shorts, matching sports bra with a tank top that shows off my shoulders because Clarke loves my muscular shoulders. I’m glad Clarke was going to wear what she wants to wear, but I am infuriated that she had even considered changing out of fear that it was no longer safe to look so amazing. Clarke has always turned heads, and for long as I’ve known her, it had never seemed to bother her before. I can’t stand the thought of her feeling differently about herself because of what that bastard did to her.

We gathered up all our stuff and went to the beach. Once there, I grabbed a couple of beach chairs for us and spread out our towels before taking off my shirt. “Wow!” Clarke gasped. “I never get tired of looking at you.”

I grin. I knew that shedding my shirt would get Clarke’s attention and hopefully make her forget about her insecurities.

“I must admit, I am very aroused right now,” says Clarke. “But I can control myself.”

I laugh, “Maybe but you don’t have too. Will you take off your cover up and get in with me?”

Clarke nods and takes hers off. Damn she is beautiful with the sun reflecting off of her golden hair. I gasp and stare. “Clarke you are beautiful.” I lean over to get the sunscreen out of the bag because she has fair skin, and I don’t want her to burn. When I stand up, I see a couple of guys looking our way, so I walk over to Clarke and take her in my arms and kiss her deeply.

When she pulls away, she says, “What was that for, to torture me because I said I was aroused?”

“Nope, just letting people know that you are taken. I want everyone to know that the most beautiful woman on the beach is with me. Now let me put some sunscreen on you.” She sits down on the lounge chair and I sit behind her and slowly massage the sunscreen on every piece of exposed skin.

“Lexa, you’re killing me.”

“Am I?” I lean in and kiss her neck then nibble her earlobe.

“Lexa, stop. Everyone is going to see us.”

“So, I don’t care. I love you and I want everyone to know that you are mine.”

She pushes me away playfully and I scoop her up and run for the water. She is laughing and I run into the water until it is about waist high and then I start to throw her in but…I think better of it and just squat down so that we are both in the water. When she finishes laughing and splashing me, I wrap her in my arms and kiss her and take her hand pulling her out until we are chest deep.

When we are deep enough, I hug her from behind and kiss her neck and whisper, “So, are you still aroused?” I run my hands slowly down her sides and back up and kiss the other side of her neck.

Clarke says, “Yes, but what are you doing? There are so many people.”

“Do you trust me?”

“What? Of course, I trust you.”

“Then just relax, I’ve got you.” I start kissing her neck, then her shoulder as I run my hands down her sides and around to the front of her stomach. I take her earlobe into my mouth and nibble on it as I lightly run my fingers up her stomach until I reach her breasts. “Squat down so that the water covers your boobs.”

She does as she is told, and I palm her left boob in my left hand gently tweaking her nipple between my thumb and finger through her bathing suit. My right-hand light traces down her stomach until it is between her legs over the bathing suit bottom. She gasps and starts breathing faster as I run my hand between her legs, and she opens them giving me better access.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I continue to rub over top of suit between her legs and kiss her neck again.

“Yes, you feel so good.”

I move my hand up her stomach and slip it under the waistband of her bottoms, where I begin stroking her clit with two fingers, one on each side. Clarke moans and I give her nipple a little pinch as I increase the pace of my fingers. I use my thumb to circle her nipple as she begins breathing faster. “You’re so beautiful,” I say softly pressing my body closer against her back. I continue caressing and stroking her soft folds until my fingers find her center and slide inside. Clarke gasps and I begin working her slowly, moving in and out in measured strokes, until Clarke begins moving her hips in a desperate attempt to take me in deeper. I speed up, moving faster and faster until she was almost in a frenzy, and then I feel her close up around my fingers and she muffles her scream so that it comes out more like a snort or laugh.

“Damn, you’re good at that,” Clarke says hoarsely, turning to face me. “I can’t believe you just did that here with all these people around.”

“They could care less what we are doing. You bring the best out in me and I couldn’t wait until we got back to the room,” I say grinning brightly.

Clarke takes my head in her hands, tilts it back, and kisses me fiercely. When she pulls away, she says, “Thank you for always knowing how to make me feel better.”

“You don’t have to thank me; I love making you feel good. But can we get out of the water now before I get eaten by sharks?”

“What?”

“I don’t like being in the water for too long. I’ve been to the aquarium and I’ve seen what lives in here and I don’t want to be eaten alive by a shark. So, can we please get out?”

She starts laughing at me, “Are you telling me that you are scared of the ocean?”

“No, I’m telling you that I am not happy about what lives in the ocean and what they can do to me.”

Clarke takes my hand and starts leading me toward the beach, “I can’t believe the big bad Stryker is afraid of fish.”

“I’m not scared of fish; I just don’t like sharks!”

When we get out of the water and head toward our chairs we run into Ash, Callie, Asher, and Sabrina. Ash looks at us and says, “Clarke, how did you manage to get Lexa to go that far out into the water? You know she is scared of fish, right?”

Asher and Sabrina have wandered off toward the water and Clarke says, “It was actually pretty easy, I enticed her with sex. I guess she forgot about the fish for a while.”

Everyone just laughs, “For the last time, I’m not afraid of fish! I just don’t like sharks. Asher, want to build a sandcastle?”

“Yes,” he says.

Clarke

Even after our conversation in the room, I’m still feeling a little uncomfortable in my bikini. That is until Lexa claims me in front of everyone by kissing me passionately before she rubs sunscreen seductively all over me. Then she takes me into the deep water and makes love to me, which was amazing. I can’t believe we did that with all the people on the beach, but it was unbelievably sexy.

Once we get to the beach we run into Ash, Callie, and the kids. Ash starts kidding Lexa about being afraid of fish and she goes to play with Asher while pouting. Her pouting is kinda cute and sexy.

I sit and talk with Ash and Callie while Lexa plays with the kids in the sand building sandcastles. Callie looks from where the kids are playing to me and says, “She really is good with kids. How far along are you?”

“Eight weeks and four day. She really is good with them and she is so excited about the baby that she can’t wait to tell everyone. I’m just worried that she isn’t concentrating enough on the fight now that she knows about the baby.”

Ash says, “You don’t have to worry about her when it comes to fighting, she can hold her own.”

“I know, but I don’t want her to be so distracted that she gets hurt. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her.” I look over to find Lexa buried up to her neck in the sand with Asher and Sabrina standing over her laughing. I just shake my head. “I may be getting myself into trouble, she can be as much of a kid as they can.”

Ash and Callie laugh. Ash says, “We may need to go rescue her, she is going to have sand in places that sand should never be.”

We all walk over there, and I look down at my wonderful girlfriend and say, “Babe, you know that you are going to have to get into the water and wash off all that sand, right.”

She looks up and says, “What? No, I can just take a shower.”

Everybody laughs at her. “No ma’am. You have to rise off before we go inside.”

“But what about the sharks? They will eat me!”

Ash speaks up, “I made a huge mistake taking you to the aquarium and letting you see what lives in the ocean.”

I take her hand and lead her towards the water, “I will protect you against the fish, babe.”

She looks at me and sticks her lip out at me. I look at Ash and say, “I’m going to have two kids in seven months, aren’t I?”

Her reply is, “Yep, most definitely.”


	72. Lexa/Clarke

Lexa

After Clarke drags me into the shark infested water to rinse off all the sand, we go and relax in the lounge chairs. I’m glad that she seems to be feeling better about herself now. I’m not sure how long I was asleep, but I’m awakened by a bucket of water being dumped on me. I try to jump up to my feet, but I can’t because Clarke is sitting on me. She holds me down while Asher and Sabrina begin to tickle me.

“What the hell!” I gasp from the cold water.

“It’s payback time, Ceilo!” Clarke says laughing.

“Oh really! Asher, get her.” He immediately stops tickling me and turns on Clarke. This causes her to shift her weight enough for me to pick her up. She squeals which makes Asher and Sabrina laugh. Then I run to the water carrying her. I got out up to my knees, which is about all I’m comfortable with, then drop her into the water.

Clarke screams as I let her go. I stand there waiting for her to come up, but she doesn’t right away, then I feel something grab my ankle and pull hard causing me to go under. When I pop back up out of the water, she is standing there with her arms crossed laughing at me. She says, “I can play games too, babe.” 

I can’t help but laugh and think how wonderful my life is going to be with her and the baby. “I see that. Let’s go dry off.” We walk back to the chairs to find O, Bellamy, Echo, and some of the rest of the group.

O says, “We were just about to play a game of beach volleyball. Do you all want to join us?”

Ash says that she is in, but Callie said she would rather watch. I look at Clarke and she says that she is going to watch with Callie, but that I should play if I want too. I turn to O and say, “I’ll play but someone will have to explain how. I’ve never played before.”

Ash and O start explaining the rules to me and for some reason I get the strange sensation that I’m being watched, but when I look around, I don’t see anything unusual. So, I shrug it off and then we spend the next few hours playing. It is actually quite fun and turns out that I’m not bad at it. Every now and then I will glance over at Clarke and smile. She seems to be enjoying herself watching and talking to Callie.

Clarke

Lexa falls asleep in the lounge chair, so I recruit the kids to help with a little payback. At first it works great, dumping the bucket of water on her but the she turns it around on me and we end up back in the water. By the time we finish playing in the water, some of the group has arrived and want to get a volleyball game going. Callie and I decline but Ash and Lexa play.

I enjoy watching Lexa do anything athletic. She has such an amazing body and seems to pick up the game easily. I use this time to talk to Callie. “Callie, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about…about how you-you felt about having Asher. I mean if it’s not something you like to think about, I understand. It’s just…I guess that most people are going to find out eventually so I might as well tell you then maybe you can help me.” I take a deep breath and start to speak again.

Callie says, “It’s fine Clarke I don’t mind talking to you about it. It has gotten a little easier with time…”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. What I was going to say is I’m worried that I want be able to love the baby like I should because of how it was conceived. Lexa, Octavia, and my mom are the only people right now that know how I became pregnant, but I’m sure that will change after tonight unless I can come up with something else. What I’m trying to say, is that I was raped by Finn.” I can feel the tears come to my eyes, but I try to hide them.

“Oh, Clarke. I’m so sorry. No one should have to go through that.”

“You did though, and you had Asher. Everything seems to have worked out for you. I’m-I’m just worried that it will look like him or I will think of how it was conceived, and I won’t be able to bond with it like I should.” By now, I have tears running down my cheeks and I try to wipe them away before Lexa can see them but somehow, she knows something is wrong and she calls time out, to come over to me.

Lexa squats down in front of me and puts her hands on my knees, “Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“I’m fine sweetie. I’m just asking Callie about how she managed everything after…and if it affected how she looked at Asher. She is the one person who know what I am going through.”

“Oh, so you-you told her about…”

“Yes, now go back to your game. I’m fine.” I pull her in for a kiss and when she gets up to walk away, I give her a smack on the ass. This gets a chuckle from the entire group.

O says, “Stryker, can you please get your head in the game and let your woman be for a while.”

“Shut up O, you’re just jealous that you don’t have a woman.” Lexa says walking back to the group.

O says, “Why would I be jealous. I don’t have one woman, I have many.”

I look back to Callie and shake my head at the playful banter between everyone. Callie asks, “I’m confused on why you didn’t take the emergency conceptive that they now offer after the incident. I mean back when it happened to me that wasn’t an option.”

“I did but leave it to me to be one of the 5% it didn’t work on.” We continued to talk while the game progressed and she said that she had some of the same fears that I have but once she held Asher, nothing else mattered. 

“I’m not saying that it was easy or that I don’t still sometimes think about what happened, but at the end of the day something wonderful came out of the worst day of my life and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Besides, you have Lexa by your side, and she is so excited that she can’t stand it. I really think that if Ash had been with me, the whole process would have been a lot easier. You two have each other to lean on and your baby is going to be loved and that is all that matters.”

“Thank you, Callie. I’m feeling a lot better. Now if I can just figure out how to explain my pregnancy to everyone.”

“Clarke, being raped is nothing to be ashamed of considering it wasn’t your fault. The way you’ve handled it, I think, is something you should be extremely proud of. And you definitely shouldn’t be ashamed of your own baby. It’s just a baby, and none of this is its fault either.”

“But will they treat it or me differently?” I ask with tears in my eyes.

“Who? Your group of friends?”

“Yes, it’s not fair if they do. It’s an innocent child. I don’t care what they think of me but…I thought I could do this, and it wouldn’t matter how I got it, but what if I’m wrong? I’m afraid it’ll know something’s not right just from how people react to it.”

“Of course, you two can do it. And if people or your friends treat you or it differently, I’m sure Lexa will deal with them. I know she doesn’t tolerate people mistreating her loved ones.”

I chuckle, “That’s true, I can only imagine how many fights or arguments she will have over me and this baby. Thanks for talking to me about this, you really helped put my mind at ease.”

“No problem, I’m always here if you need to talk.” Callie says.

Lexa comes running over to me all sweaty bends down and whispers in my ear, “Hey baby momma, ready to go up to the room? I don’t want you to get burnt.”

I turn red as Callie chuckles, “Lexa!”

Callie says, “See you two have got this, no problem. I’ll see you later.”


	73. Lexa/Clarke

Lexa

On the walk back to the hotel, Clarke was extremely quiet and looked to be deep in thought and I still have the strange feeling that we are being watched or followed, but I just can’t find anyone that sticks out. I know that Clarke was talking to Callie about what happened with Finn and I didn’t want to pressure her about it, but I didn’t want her thinking too much about it either. She still wasn’t talking to me by the time we made it to the elevator, and I couldn’t take it any longer.

“Clarke, are you alright? You haven’t said a word since we left the beach.” She didn’t answer me, just continues to stare straight ahead. I take her hand and bring it to my lips for a kiss, “Babe, please talk to me. What’s wrong?”

She looks up at me and says, “Huh? What did you say?”

“I said what’s wrong? You haven’t said a word since we left the beach and you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry, love. I was just thinking about Callie and my conversation. I don’t mean to scare you. Everything is fine, I promise.”

“Do you mind telling me what has you so deep in thought?”

“Just some things Callie said. I asked her how she managed everything that happened to her and we had a nice talk about how she felt some of the same things that I am but that she didn’t have anyone to lean on like I have you. She helped me realize that as long as we are okay with everything, that’s all that matters.”

“Clarke, I love you and I will support you either way, but I really want to have this baby with you. I fell in love with the little gummy bear when I saw it on the ultrasound but if you are having second thoughts…”

“No! That’s not it at all.” She interrupts me. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to tell everyone how it happened but now, I do. If they can’t accept me or our baby, then I don’t need them in my life.” The elevator door opens, and she says, “Now let’s finish what we started in the ocean in the shower.”

After our nice long sexy shower, I hurried and got dressed. I put on a nice pair of black pants with a light blue button up shirt. I rolled up the sleeves and added a small black tie with my dress boots. I wanted to look nice for what I was about to do, plus what we were going to do tonight. I text Lucas and ask him if he could get Niko to meet me in Abby’s room in about fifteen minutes. Then I told Clarke that I had an errand to run while she got dressed and I would be back in a few to get her.

I knocked on Abby’s door and Niko answered. Good they were both here. Abby comes out and says, “Lexa what is going on? Why did you want to talk to Niko and me alone?”

“I have something that I want to ask the both of you. I-I didn’t think that I would be able to do it twice so-so I needed you to be together.”

Abby says, “Lexa, why are you so nervous? Is everything okay with Clarke?”

“Yes, Clarke’s fine. Look, I love Clarke more than anything in this world. Niko, I-I know we haven’t had time to get to know one another and things between you and Clarke are stressed right now, but I-I want to do this right. That’s why I asked you to be here. Abby, you probably know me better than anyone, other than Ash and now Clarke. You have always been there for me when I needed you, whether it was medical related or just needing advice on well anything…”

Abby interrupts me, “Lexa, you are rambling just get to the point. We all have somewhere to be.”

“Abby, please. This is hard enough without you pressuring me. I know that you told me from the beginning that Ash and I didn’t belong together, and I was too stubborn to listen and you were right. I-I just hope that you don’t tell me that I am wrong about this. I love Clarke and I want to be with her forever, so-so do I…do I have your permission to ask her to marry me?”

Niko speaks up, “You’re right I don’t know you that well and I haven’t been there for my baby sis in the past, so I don’t know what her mindset is. What I do know is that you are the first woman she has dated and that worries me some…but my baby sis has always known what she wanted. So, if she says yes then that is good enough for me.” He reaches his hand out for me to shake it and I do. “I promise you that I will take care of her to the best of my ability.”

I look to Abby who has unshed tears in her eyes. “Lexa, I have seen the way you treat my baby with the respect and love that she deserves. I know that you will never intentionally hurt her and will stand by her no matter what. She has been happier in the last couple of months than she has in a long time and that is because of you. Of course, you have my blessing to marry her.” She wraps me in a hug, and I begin to cry and so does she.

“I know giving my history, you may think that this is fast because we haven’t known each other long but the way she makes me feel is like nothing I have ever experience, not even with Ash. I promise I will make her as happy as I can.”

Abby laughs, “I know you will do everything in your power to make her safe and happy, now the important question is do you have a ring?”

I pull the little box out of my pocket and open it. “Yes ma’am, I do. I’m just not sure when or how I’m going to ask her. I just knew that I wanted to get both of your permissions before I did.”

She takes the box and pulls the ring out to get a closer look. “This ring is amazing and incredibly unique. She will love it just like she does you. Now why don’t you go get her so we can go to dinner and karaoke.”

“Yes ma’am. Is Dr. Al-Mubarak and her partner coming tonight?”

“I believe so. The three of us and Anny had an exceptionally good meeting this afternoon and we all think everything is going to work out.”

“Awesome, see you in a bit and Abby thanks for always being there for me.”

Clarke

After our beautiful love making shower, Lexa hurried to get dressed and said she had something to take care of. I’m actually a little worried about her. She seemed to think that I was having second thoughts about having the baby, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m just worried and a little scared about telling everyone tonight. Although I do feel a lot better after talking to Callie.

Oh well, I decide to try and not worry so much and just get dressed. I put on this nice form fitting mint green dress that we bought the other day at the mall. I really like the way it fits my body and Lexa’s eyes about popped out of her head when I tried it on. It has spaghetti straps that show off my shoulders and stops just above my knees. I bought a lightweight black see through cardigan to go over it and matching heals. Once I’m dressed, I look at myself in the mirror and think I won’t be able to wear things like this much longer so I better enjoy it while I can.

I’m brought out of my thoughts by Lexa’s arms wrapping around me from behind and her chin comes to rest on my shoulder. She says, “Ya Amar, you look amazing. If I weren’t so excited about the big reveal, I would undress you and take you to bed right now.”

I laugh, “Well, we could skip it and stay here. You could just have your way with me, and no one would even miss us.”

“Nice try, but not happening. I’m too excited! I want everyone to know, but if you want to wait, we can.”

“No, I want to tell everyone. I’m just afraid of what they are going to say. What if they look at me differently or think I shouldn’t have the baby?”

“Babe, we’ve got this. If someone from our group doesn’t support us or looks at you are the baby differently…well that’s their loss because we don’t need them. I won’t have anyone disrespecting you or the baby.” She wrap me in her arms in a hug and when I pull back, she kisses me deeply and I can feel how much she loves me. “Now let’s do this, my baby momma!”

“Are you going to call me that from now on?”

I smirk, “Um…unless it bothers you. I would like too.”

“I think I can get used to it.” I say with a smile.


	74. Lexa

Lexa  
Ash and I head over to the bar and order a couple of shots. I look at Ash and say, “I can’t wait any longer, Ash. I want to ask her to marry me now! I know it won’t be the epic proposal that she deserves but…I-I just can’t wait. I will have to make it up to her with a big wedding or whatever she wants, but I have to do it now while we are all together.”

“How are you going to do it? I’m sure she will be happy that you are doing it and it won’t matter how you did it, just that you did it. But maybe you should wait though, I mean you don’t want to overshadow the baby news or the proposal so…”

“Good point! I didn’t think about that, maybe I will wait until after the fight and do it in the ring. Thanks Ash. I think we are going to head back to the hotel now. After my training session in the morning, we should get together and go over the intel you have so far.”

“Sure, just text me when you finish.”

We walk back over to the table and Clarke looks up at me and says, “So, what was that about?”

“Nothing, I was just getting Ash’s opinion on something and making plans to go over her intel. You ready to go?”

She smiles and takes my hand, “I thought you would never ask. I have an urgent matter that needs your attention when we get back to the room.”

“Really? Are you okay? Is everything okay with the little gummy bear?”

She laughs at me and says, “Sweetie, everything is fine. I just need you to have your way with your baby momma.”

“Don’t do that to me Ya Amar! I thought something was wrong, but I can definitely help you with your urgent need.”

As we walk back to the hotel, I get an uneasy feeling that I’m being watched. When I glance around though I don’t see anything unusual, but I can’t shake the feeling. We make it to the room but before the door even slams closed, Clarke is kissing me. Deeper and deeper, we stumble up the stairs to the bedroom. Clarke pushes me on the bed and stops. She looks at me with an expression that I can’t quite place. I sit up and ask, “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything is perfect.”

I sit up and watch as Clarke gently pulls her dress up and over her head. I watch as she undresses completely. When she is naked, she straddles me and looks into my eyes before kissing me in such a way that makes me absolute certain that I want to spend the rest of my life with Clarke no matter what it takes. I pull her closer to me so that I can feel her soft skin. I can’t get close enough to her. Clarke begins rocking gently and I match her rhythm even though I am still fully clothed. I always let Clarke take control in the bedroom. Clarke leans back and I kiss her neck, her throat. I lick her nipples and I feel Clarke’s body respond. I roll her over, straddling her. I remove my own shirt and bra quickly as Clarke pulls at the buckle of my pants. I can’t get my clothes off fast enough. I just need to feel every inch of my skin on hers. I kick off my jeans and underwear and in seconds, we are totally naked and entangled, touching, feeling, and kissing.

Our lovemaking is like nothing I have ever experienced. I’ve been with my fair share of women, but no one has ever known me this instinctively. I cling to the headboard as flashes of light pass before my eyes and at one point it feels as though I’m actually leaving my own body behind.

Turning Clarke over, I work my way down her body. Clarke arches her back just to make contact with me. I take my time kissing her stomach, her hips, and her thighs. “Lexa please,” is all Clarke can say, nearly writhing. Before Clarke can take another breath, my tongue begins an absolute assault on her clitoris. Flicking, rubbing, tasting her, my tongue plunges deep inside of her and then comes back for more. I suck and rub and taste Clarke until she can’t hold back another second. I taste Clarke come in my mouth and I swear it tastes like honey. But before Clarke can relax, my fingers are deep inside of her; my rhythm is slow at first, measured. Clarke moans and begins rocking into my hand, urging me, pulling me deeper. Clarke claws at my shoulders, dragging me up so that we are face-to-face. Still deep inside her, our rhythm quickens, and I feel ready to explode. Clarke’s eyes stay focused on mine, neither of us blinks, neither looks away. We climax together and I fall on top of Clarke whose body involuntarily quivers over and over again.

As we make love, we do so in a combination of fast and slow motion, each taking turns pleasing the other. Just when I think we can’t possibly continue; one touch lights another fire and so we begin again.

After hours of lovemaking, I am utterly exhausted. Clarke and I lie side by side in bed, covered in sweat. “Thirsty,” is all Clarke can manage.

I stand and it takes a moment to regain my balance. I am actually wobbly. I slowly make my way to the kitchen for water. I return and hand Clarke a glass of orange juice that she downs in seconds. “Better,” Clarke says. “I’m not sure if I can stand up.” Clarke groans.

“Yeah, that was pretty tough for me too.”


	75. Lexa/Clarke

Clarke

When I woke up this morning, Lexa was already gone. She has early morning training, but she left me a note telling me how much she enjoyed last night and that she can’t wait to see me later today. She also let me know that after training she had to get together with Ash about the intel, she has gathered so far but she said that after that she was mine the rest of the day. At least until 8, when the fan meet and greet started.

Last night was amazing! I can’t believe how supportive everyone was with the news of the baby and then I don’t even know how to describe what we did once we made it back to the hotel. Sometimes I can’t believe how much I enjoy having sex with Lexa. She always lets me take control and seems to always know what I need. I think when she gets back, I want to spend the rest of the day in bed with her.

Lexa

After my training session, I meet up with Ash to go over what information she has gathered so far on her mission. We spend a couple of hours going over everything and then she drops a bomb on me. She says that Julian called her early this morning to say that the he had been looking into Natalia’s disappearance and he found bits and pieces of information that there is a highly classified joint task force within the CIA and NSA that works completely off book. Natalia evidently discovered information that linked this task force to the experiments. The info she had linked this off-book task force to a project with code name Titian. The Titian project includes experiments with the DNA of children with the theory that if they can use gene mutation to increase speed, strength and agility with wolf DNA and use a drug serum to make them totally compliant they could build a highly trained super solider/assassin. Ash says, “Julian said that because the CIA and NSA are involved none of his agents would be safe if he sent them to shut down the project.” He told her that she could not go back because more than likely they would recognize her when she went for the meet on Monday. 

I ask, “So, what does that mean? He is going to forget about Natalia and everyone else being held against their will?”

Ash says, “We are still trying to figure everything out. He is the only other person within the agency that knows what we have found, and he is going to keep it that way. What it means is that we can’t use any government assets when we figure out what is next. It has taken me two months to finally get a meet up with anyone related to the experiments and I’m going to show up for it.”

“If what Julian says is correct, you would be walking into a trap and I can’t allow that. Who were you supposed to meet?”

“I’m meeting with the buyer. The one who buys the women. We are to discuss a shipment. I have told them that I can acquire between five and ten American girls that meet their criteria. American’s are in high demand and hard to get so they are very willing to deal with me because of this. We are meeting to discuss price and I’m supposed to have pictures of the girls so that he can see if they are what he needs. If everything goes according to plan, he will take me to meet the head of the facility and discuss the exchange. According to my contact, the exchange usually takes place at the compound.”

“Have you shown anyone the pictures of the girls yet? Have you met this buyer before?”

“No, I still need to get that sorted out and I have not met him before. Why?”

“What if you take pictures of me and the team that I had selected to be your contingency plan and we send either Bellamy, Reed, or Jose to meet with the buyer. If the buyer takes the bait, then when the exchange is made, we will take the facility from the inside. No one will expect a group of trafficked women to fight back with the skill that we possess.”

“Lexa, you are a fucking genius. Do you think your team will agree to this? We don’t have a lot of info on the inside of the facility so it will be a little cagey.”

“Well, they are all here for the fight so we can ask them. But I’m willing to bet they will be up for it. How long after the meet are you supposed to make the exchange?”

“That will be determined at the meet on Monday.”

“Alright, I will text everyone and we will meet in my room after the fan meet and greet tonight. Is there anything else that Julian has that might be useful?”

“I’m not sure, but I will call him and find out and clue him into what we have planned.”

On the way back to my room, I text everyone on the prearranged team and O. I need her to know everything so that she can help take care of somethings that may come up. When I get back to the room, Clarke is sitting in the living room reading a book and has a table of food waiting on me.

“Good morning, my beautiful baby momma. What are reading?” I say as I walk over to the table of food.

She gets up and wraps me in a hug. “I take it you are hungry.”

“Babe do you know me, I’m always hungry.” I say with a laugh. “What were you reading?”

“Just a book I picked up from the bookstore around the corner on pregnancy and childbirth. Did you have a good training session and talk with Ash?”

“The training was good but…the talk with Ash is a whole different story.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Have a seat and eat with me and I will tell you everything.” As we eat, I explain everything that we found out and the idea that I had. I explained why Ash couldn’t return to the Ukraine like she had planned and told her about the meeting later tonight.

“Lexa, I don’t know about this. What if something goes wrong? I can’t lose you, I just found you and we are going to have a baby.”

“I know, Ya Amar, but what about all those babies and children that are being experimented on? I can’t sit here and do nothing about it, it just wouldn’t be right. That’s just not me. I have to try and help; besides, I trust my team. Everything will be fine, there is nothing that can keep me away from you and our baby. I promise.”

“Fine, but I’m coming to the meeting with you tonight. I need to know everything. Now how long do we have before you are scheduled to be somewhere?”

“Well, let’s see…it’s one now and the meet and greet is at eight at the arena so about six hours. Why, what do you have in mind?”

Clarke

I walk over to where Lexa is still picking at what is left of the food that I had ordered for her. I lean over and bite her ear. Lexa moans at the touch. “I want to have my way with you.” Lexa stands up and picks me up carrying me up the stairs. She bursts through the bedroom door and slams it shut as she sits my feet on the floor. I slam her against the back of the door. My kisses are volatile, and my tongue has an urgency all its own. Lexa both responds and pulls back almost at the same time, but she doesn’t stop. If I can’t tell her, I’ll show her.

My hands nearly tear off Lexa’s clothes. My mouth covers every inch of exposed skin. The only thing keeping me upright is the pressure Lexa is applying with her own body. My fingers pull at the elastic band of Lexa’s sweats. I drop down on my knees, pulling Lexa’s pants down in on motion. Before she can protest, my mouth is on her. Lexa’s body arches back against the door. Her left leg drapes over my shoulder. My tongue is on fire and my mouth pulls and sucks at Lexa’s clit harshly and without apology, with an insistence and intensity that overwhelms me.

“Oh. My. God. I’m coming. I’m going to come in your mouth. Please don’t stop.” Lexa’s voice is ragged.

My tongue caresses Lexa, teasing her.

Lexa

Clarke’s tongue caresses me, teasing me. I can feel Clarke speaking with her lovemaking. With every touch and every kiss, she is telling me how she feels. My heart rate climbs and my vision blurs. Just a split second before the orgasm to end all orgasms explodes inside of me, Clarke stops. She rises so that her and I are eye to eye. I am totally bewildered and intensely aroused. 

“Please, Clarke,” I moan desperately, “don’t leave me like this.”

Clarke stands like that for what seems like an eternity and slowly, so slowly, moves her fingers inside of me, cupping them forward. My eyes widen. The pleasure pulls us both to a deep and intense place. With every thrust, Clarke’s hand moves deeper and deeper into me. Once again, only even stronger than before, my orgasm builds. I know that this is a moment I will remember forever. I feel like I’m above my body, looking down on myself and what Clarke is doing to me. Somehow, Clarke is on my G-spot as if she knows my body better than her own. I hear the blood pulsing in my temples. When I open my eyes, Clarke is there, staring at me with those endless green eyes. I start to feel the tingle in my toes, my shoulders, my neck, and my fingers. Then without warning the orgasm that overcomes me arches my back and somewhere in the distance, I hear a guttural yell and vaguely realize that the sound is coming from me. The orgasm rocks my body with wave after wave until every thought in my mind is obliterated. Shockwaves pulse through my body one after another until my body falls limp and used against Clarke. I try to hold them back but tears well in my eyes and slide slowly down my cheeks. Clarke kisses the tears from my face.

“I’m not sad. Really. Just overwhelmed,” I whisper.

“I know,” Clarke says as she kisses my lips. “I love you, Lexa.”

We spend the rest of the afternoon in bed. Around six thirty, Clarke gets a text from her mom wanting us to meet her, Dalia, Ariel, and Anny for dinner to discuss the procedure and timetable. Clarke reminds Abby that I have the fan thing and that she had planned on joining me. I was half asleep but could feel the tension in Clarke. I ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, mom just wants us to meet her and the doctors for dinner to discuss somethings. I told her that we can’t because of your meet and greet but now she says that I should come even if you can’t. I told her that I had planned on going with you, but she seems to think it is important for me to be there.”

“Babe, it’s fine. You know how these fan things go. You would just be sitting there watching me sign autographs and take pictures. You should go with your mom. I will be fine, I promise.”

“I know you will, but I like to be there to support you and keep an eye on you.” She says with a smirk.

I roll over and kiss her naked stomach. “Do you hear that little gummy bear? You momma doesn’t trust me around all those fans even though I’ve told her she is the only one for me.” I look up at Clarke and she is smiling down at me shaking her head.

“You know you’re an idiot, right? It can’t hear you yet. It doesn’t even have ears yet.”

“So, what if I am an idiot? I recall you recently calling me a genius and so did Ash earlier today. Just because it can’t hear me doesn’t mean I can’t talk to it. Please, Ya Amar, go to dinner with them and figure out what we need to do to make this baby completely ours. I will meet you back here after and we will go over the plan with the team about Titian.”

“Okay, but I would rather go with you. I like being by your side.”

“And I like having you there, but we need to get everything right for the procedure to work and if they need you then that is where I need for you to be.”


End file.
